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Quiz about The Worlds Most Polluted Waterways
Quiz about The Worlds Most Polluted Waterways

The World's Most Polluted Waterways Quiz


I scanned the list of challenges to find a topic for my first quiz, and came up with the world's most polluted bodies of water. I hope you find this information as enlightening as I did!

A multiple-choice quiz by NazPastorRick. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
314,290
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
2310
Awards
Editor's Choice
Last 3 plays: Guest 184 (5/10), Linda_Arizona (7/10), patrickk (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. While the title of "Most Polluted Waterway" might be open to interpretation, there seems to be little doubt about the "top" waterway on this list. The Citarum River is so choked with trash that you can hardly tell that there is any water under all of the garbage! Where in the world is this river disguised as a dumpster? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Our next waterway is a rather well-known lake that borders three nations. Because no one nation bears responsibility for this lake, there are very few regulations governing its use. Consequently, the lake is used for dumping sewage, washing cars, bathing, and who knows what else! People who come into contact with the water are at risk for various diseases, including cholera. What lake is this? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The next waterway on our list has been referred to as "the largest open pit toilet in the world." How does a river get such a title? Over 325,000 tons of sewage are dumped into it each day, that's how! To make matters worse, the river is only 65 miles long. In what South American nation would you find the Riachuela River? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Pollution is truly an international phenomenon - every continent except Antarctica will appear somewhere on our list of most polluted waterways. Our next stop is a lake that has been polluted for so long that swimming in it was banned back in 1940! Unfortunately, the pollution did not stop then; fishing was prohibited in 1970, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated this lake as a "Superfund" site in 1995. What lake is this? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Imagine living along a river that frequently overflows its banks. Now imagine that same river being regarded as the most polluted river in its country, and perhaps in all of Europe! As is the case with many of the waterways on our list, sewage forms a big part of the problem; agricultural runoff also contributes to the high levels of pollution. Which Italian river am I describing? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. No list of polluted waterways would be complete without some radioactive waste being involved. Our next waterway is so contaminated with radioactive waste that the pollution is seeping out into the surrounding ground and rock beds. If this continues, nearby rivers could be threatened. The contamination started in the 1950s with discharges from the Mayak Nuclear Waste Storage Facility. Which Russian lake is this? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. It is hard to believe that one of the most beautiful sites in the world could be closely connected to one of our most polluted waterways, but that is the case. This river, which flows near the Taj Mahal, receives about 945 million gallons of sewage per day. Which river is this? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Our next waterway is a lake which "hosts" more than 2,800 factories along its shores. As you might imagine, all of those factories lead to a large amount of industrial waste being dumped into the lake. Chinese governmental officials estimate that the cost to clean up all of the contamination would exceed $14 billion. Which lake is recognized as one of the most polluted in all of China? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Two rather large rivers also make the list of the most polluted waterways in the world. While they are located literally around the world from each other, they each suffer from pollution from sewage and industrial waste. Due to their size, this pollution impacts large portions of the nations in which these rivers are located. Which two rivers am I describing? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I had mentioned earlier in the quiz that each continent, other than Antarctica, would be represented on our list - so that brings us to Australia. The King River in Australia is acknowledged as the most polluted river in all of Australia, with millions of tons of mining waste having been dumped into the river since mining operations began in the late 1800s. Which Australian state is home to the King River? Hint



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Oct 24 2024 : Guest 184: 5/10
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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. While the title of "Most Polluted Waterway" might be open to interpretation, there seems to be little doubt about the "top" waterway on this list. The Citarum River is so choked with trash that you can hardly tell that there is any water under all of the garbage! Where in the world is this river disguised as a dumpster?

Answer: West Java

The Citarum River in West Java is so polluted that people who once used to work as fishermen later tried to make a living by collecting trash from the river for resale! The Citarum can be found near Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.

Source: Shears, Richard. "Is this the world's most polluted river?" Daily Mail UK website, 2007.
2. Our next waterway is a rather well-known lake that borders three nations. Because no one nation bears responsibility for this lake, there are very few regulations governing its use. Consequently, the lake is used for dumping sewage, washing cars, bathing, and who knows what else! People who come into contact with the water are at risk for various diseases, including cholera. What lake is this?

Answer: Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria borders the East African nations of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is the source of the White Nile River, a major tributary of the Nile.
3. The next waterway on our list has been referred to as "the largest open pit toilet in the world." How does a river get such a title? Over 325,000 tons of sewage are dumped into it each day, that's how! To make matters worse, the river is only 65 miles long. In what South American nation would you find the Riachuela River?

Answer: Argentina

The Riachuela River is also polluted with lead, mercury, cadmium, and copper. This pollution affects the water supplies of over five million people living in the area surrounding Buenos Aires.
4. Pollution is truly an international phenomenon - every continent except Antarctica will appear somewhere on our list of most polluted waterways. Our next stop is a lake that has been polluted for so long that swimming in it was banned back in 1940! Unfortunately, the pollution did not stop then; fishing was prohibited in 1970, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated this lake as a "Superfund" site in 1995. What lake is this?

Answer: Lake Onondaga

The water from Lake Onondaga flows through the Oswego River into Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes that border the United States and Canada. In 1994, the Onondaga Lake Management Conference started a program to rebuild the aquatic habitats of Onondaga Lake.

(Source: Onondaga Lake Partnership- Pollution History Timeline Website)
5. Imagine living along a river that frequently overflows its banks. Now imagine that same river being regarded as the most polluted river in its country, and perhaps in all of Europe! As is the case with many of the waterways on our list, sewage forms a big part of the problem; agricultural runoff also contributes to the high levels of pollution. Which Italian river am I describing?

Answer: Sarno River

The Sarno River flows through Naples. Although it is only about 15 miles (24 km) long, it accumulates a great deal of sewage and other chemical waste. Ugh!
6. No list of polluted waterways would be complete without some radioactive waste being involved. Our next waterway is so contaminated with radioactive waste that the pollution is seeping out into the surrounding ground and rock beds. If this continues, nearby rivers could be threatened. The contamination started in the 1950s with discharges from the Mayak Nuclear Waste Storage Facility. Which Russian lake is this?

Answer: Lake Karachay

Lake Karachay lake is located in the Ural mountains. Some scientists are concerned that if the radioactive waste continues to seep into nearby rivers, the Arctic Ocean could eventually be impacted.
7. It is hard to believe that one of the most beautiful sites in the world could be closely connected to one of our most polluted waterways, but that is the case. This river, which flows near the Taj Mahal, receives about 945 million gallons of sewage per day. Which river is this?

Answer: Yamuna River

The Yamuna, also known as the Jamuna or Jumna, flows through the city of Agra, the site of the Taj Mahal in India. The river is also used for various religious rituals, even though the contamination levels from the sewage which is dumped into the river are over 100,000 times higher than the limits for safe bathing!
8. Our next waterway is a lake which "hosts" more than 2,800 factories along its shores. As you might imagine, all of those factories lead to a large amount of industrial waste being dumped into the lake. Chinese governmental officials estimate that the cost to clean up all of the contamination would exceed $14 billion. Which lake is recognized as one of the most polluted in all of China?

Answer: Lake Taihu

Lake Taihu has an area of 2,250 kmē. The waters of Lake Taihu (also called Lake Tai) have a greenish hue, due to the prevalence of algae which flourishes in the chemicals which have been dumped into the lake.
9. Two rather large rivers also make the list of the most polluted waterways in the world. While they are located literally around the world from each other, they each suffer from pollution from sewage and industrial waste. Due to their size, this pollution impacts large portions of the nations in which these rivers are located. Which two rivers am I describing?

Answer: Yangtze River, China and Mississippi River, U.S.

Over 360 miles of the Yangtze River are currently polluted due to industrial dumping, inadequate sewage treatment facilities, and overpopulation. The Mississippi River carries millions of tons of pollutants through the heart of the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico each year. Both of these rivers are among the 15 longest rivers in the world (Yangtze #3: 3,602 miles long; Mississippi #15: 2,348 miles long).
10. I had mentioned earlier in the quiz that each continent, other than Antarctica, would be represented on our list - so that brings us to Australia. The King River in Australia is acknowledged as the most polluted river in all of Australia, with millions of tons of mining waste having been dumped into the river since mining operations began in the late 1800s. Which Australian state is home to the King River?

Answer: Tasmania

Over 1.5 million tons of mining waste entered the King River each year up to 1995. Acid rain, resulting from pollution from the smelting operations associated with the mines, also has added to the pollution of the river.
Source: Author NazPastorRick

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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