A-level ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Transcription

1 Please write clearly in block capitals. Centre number Candidate number Surname Forename(s) Candidate signature A-level ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Unit 3 Energy Resources and Environmental Pollution Friday 9 June 2017 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Materials You will need no other materials. You may use a calculator. For Examiner s Use Examiner s Initials Instructions Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Fill in the es at the top of this page. Answer all questions. You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. outside the around each page or on blank pages. Do all rough work in this book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information The marks for questions are shown in brackets. The maximum mark for this paper is 80. Two of these marks are for the Quality of Written Communication. You will be marked on your ability to: use good English organise information clearly use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Question 7 should be answered in continuous prose. Quality of Written Communication will be assessed in this answer. Question TOTAL Mark (JUN17ENVS301) HB/221774/Jun17/E6 ENVS3

2 2 There are no questions printed on this page DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED (02)

3 3 Answer all questions in the spaces provided. 1 The graphs in Figure 1 show features of selected environmental issues. Figure 1 A B C D E F Complete Table 1 by adding the correct letter from Figure 1 for each description. [5 marks] Table 1 Description Letter Smoke (PM10) levels in a city over a 24-hour period The effect of double glazing gap size on the rate of heat loss The effect of water temperature on maximum dissolved oxygen level Tropospheric ozone levels in a city over a 24-hour period Dissolved oxygen concentration in a river above and below a sewage outlet 5 Turn over for the next question Turn over U (03)

4 4 2 Figure 2 shows isolines of mean annual noise levels around the wind turbines of a windfarm. Figure 2 N Key Wind turbine generator Noise contours 55 db 50 db 45 db 40 db 35 db m 2 (a) Suggest how the data on noise may have been collected to produce this map. [4 marks] (04)

5 5 2 (b) Outline how the location of a windfarm may be selected to reduce land-use conflicts. [4 marks] 2 (c) Outline two methods of reducing noise pollution caused by transport systems. [2 marks] Turn over for the next question Turn over U (05)

6 6 3 (a) Outline one way in which oxides of nitrogen are produced as a result of human activities. [2 marks] 3 (b) Describe how tropospheric ozone increases the severity of acid rain. [2 marks] 3 (c) Describe how changes to soil, caused by acidic pollution, harm plants. [2 marks] (06)

7 7 3 (d) Describe the features of lichens that make them useful in monitoring acidic atmospheric pollution. [4 marks] 10 Turn over for the next question Turn over U (07)

8 8 4 Figure 3 is a map of parts of Europe that shows the number of hours each year during which solar panels can reach maximum output if they are positioned at their optimum angle. Map of Europe showing maximum output from solar panels cannot be reproduced here due to third party copyright restrictions. 4 (a) Suggest how the optimum angle for a solar panel could be found. [3 marks] 4 (b) Describe how named improvements in design have increased the amount of energy that can be harnessed by: 4 (b) (i) photovoltaic cells [2 marks] 4 (b) (ii) wind turbines. [2 marks] (08)

9 9 4 (c) Outline how economic strategies have been introduced to encourage the use of renewable energy. [3 marks] 10 Turn over for the next question Turn over U (09)

10 10 5 Figure 4 shows the discharges into the sea of the radioactive isotope Technetium 99 and concentrations of Technetium 99 found in lobsters. Figure Discharge/ Bq Technetium concentration / Bq kg Key Discharge Concentration in lobsters Year (a) Describe the relationship between Technetium 99 concentrations in lobsters and the discharges of Technetium 99. [2 marks] (10)

11 11 5 (b) Different radioactive isotopes have different radioactive half-lives. Table 2 shows details of selected radioactive isotopes. Table 2 Isotope Half-life Types of radiation emitted Technetium years Beta Strontium years Beta Barium years Gamma Polonium days Alpha 5 (b) (i) Which isotope will be 12.5% as radioactive after 33 years? [1 mark] Tick ( ) one. Technetium 99 Strontium 90 Barium 133 Polonium (b) (ii) Suggest which of the isotopes in Table 2 poses the greatest health risk if the source is: [2 marks] body ingested. Question 5 continues on the next page Turn over U (11)

12 12 5 (b) (iii) Compare the threats to human health posed by alpha radiation and gamma radiation. [3 marks] (12)

13 13 5 (c) Figure 5 shows sites around a nuclear waste-processing industrial plant where samples are collected to monitor pollution. Figure 5 N Sea Land Key Nuclear waste-processing industrial plant Location of sampling sites and materials sampled: Sand, silt, seaweed, molluscs Fish Airborne particulates, grass, milk, soil 0 20 km Explain the principles of Critical Pathway Analysis in monitoring pollution caused by radioactive materials. [2 marks] 10 Turn over for the next question Turn over U (13)

14 14 6 Read the passage below. Renewable energy in China The rapid economic growth of China since the 1990s has created a huge increase in demand for energy. China has large reserves of fossil fuels, especially coal, but their use causes serious pollution. Therefore, the state decided to encourage a big expansion of the use of renewable energy. This decision will also give China greater self-reliance, reducing the need to import crude oil. 5 By 2013, China led the world in renewable energy production, with a total capacity of 378 GW. The costs of renewable energy technologies have dropped dramatically. Innovation has helped, but the main cause of reduced costs has been market expansion. Projects, such as the Gansu Dang River Hydro-Electric Power station, have been registered as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in accordance with the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. Hydropower in China has been described as a renewable and clean energy source. However, huge schemes, such as the Three Gorges Dam or the Xiluodu dam, have had big environmental impacts. Habitat loss, habitat division, flooding of valuable farmland, flooding of waste disposal sites and destruction of fish breeding habitats are serious problems. Since 1949, about 15 million people have been relocated to make way for such schemes. China s production of photovoltaic cells (PV) increased one hundred fold between 2005 and 2015 and it now produces over two-thirds of the global output. The usefulness of solar power has been increased by the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). This uses parabolic reflectors and heliostats to increase the energy density. The energy harnessed is stored as heat energy in molten salt at temperatures up to 550 C. This can be used to produce electricity with boilers and steam turbines when needed To maintain a high efficiency, CSP parabolic mirrors need to be kept clean, using up to 3.5 tonnes of water per MWh of electricity produced. A byproduct of the manufacture of early PV cells is silicon tetrachloride, which can cause skin burns and damage to eyes and lungs. In More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs), this is treated to reduce pollution, but some Chinese companies dump it without treatment. This approach reduces manufacturing costs by about 50%. A range of biofuels is being developed, including methane from animal manure and bio-ethanol from carbohydrate crops, such as cereals, sugar cane and cassava square kilometres of Jatropha trees will produce enough vegetable oil to produce nearly 6 million tonnes of biodiesel each year. This will require the clearance of large areas of mixed-species natural forest and farmland. The Jatropha trees will also provide wood fuel for a power plant. (14)

15 15 Domestic stoves have been developed that burn crop waste and larger biofuel power stations are designed to burn rice crop waste. The development of geothermal power for electricity has failed to meet targets. However, there are many schemes using hot water for greenhouses, swimming pools, district heating, fish farming, agricultural drying and industrial process heat. Many of China s coal mines are a long way from the areas of greatest demand. The transport infrastructure is inefficient and there is no national grid to distribute electricity. To reduce this problem, China is planning to build a series of electric power networks to allow electricity to be imported from Russia, Mongolia and other neighbouring countries. This will help China reduce imports of oil by sea. The desire for self-reliance and concerns over climate change have led the drive for renewable energy. Predicted changes include the loss of forests in temperate regions and coastal flooding. The loss of mountain glaciers will cause water shortages and increased risks of glacial lake flooding In 2006, storms, floods, heat and drought killed more than 2700 people in China. These events were seen as a start of weather patterns likely to become more common due to global climate change. Table 3 shows some details of electricity generation in China in Table 3 Energy resource Maximum electricity output / MW Capacity factor / % Mean electricity output / MW Total annual output / GWh Coal HEP Wind Solar PV Nuclear Question 6 continues on the next page Turn over U (15)

16 16 Use information from the passage, on pages 14 and 15, and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow. 6 (a) Explain how the expansion of hydroelectric power helps China meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations. (Lines 10 12) [1 mark] 6 (b) Explain why improvements to the electricity grid will allow China to use energy resources more effectively. (Lines 46 51) [2 marks] 6 (c) Suggest why the capacity factor for nuclear power is much higher than the capacity factor for wind power. (Table 3) [2 marks] 6 (d) Estimate the amount of water that would have been needed in 2013 for cleaning mirrors if 25% of the country s solar electricity was produced using Concentrated Solar Power with parabolic mirrors. (Lines and Table 3) [3 marks] t (16)

17 17 6 (e) How do the CSP projects make solar power more useful than solar PV in meeting demand for electricity in China? (Lines 21 25) [3 marks] 6 (f) Suggest why geothermal power has been used mainly for space heating rather than electricity generation. (Lines 42 45) [1 mark] 6 (g) Outline how the expansion of renewable energy in China may make food production more difficult. [3 marks] 15 Turn over for the next question Turn over U (17)

18 18 7 Write an essay on one of the following topics. Credit will be given for your understanding of the relationship between different areas of the subject, also for the organisation and presentation of the essay and for grammar, punctuation and spelling. You should answer this question in continuous prose. Either 7 (a) Discuss how the properties of different types of pesticide affect the severity of the environmental damage they cause. [20 marks] or 7 (b) Discuss the methods that may be used to increase the efficiency of energy use in different transport systems. [20 marks] or 7 (c) Describe how oil pollution is caused and explain how it may be controlled. [20 marks] Which question have you chosen? Tick ( ) one. 7 (a) 7 (b) 7 (c) (18)

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22 22 20 END OF QUESTIONS (22)

23 23 There are no questions printed on this page DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED (23)

24 24 There are no questions printed on this page DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PAGE ANSWER IN THE SPACES PROVIDED Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, from the November 2015 examination series, acknowledgements of third party copyright material will be published in a separate booklet rather than including them on the examination paper or support materials. This booklet is published after each examination series and is available for free download from after the live examination series. Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team, AQA, Stag Hill House, Guildford, GU2 7XJ. Copyright 2017 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. (24)