Study: Environmental - Decomposition of Everyday Items(Extended)

Use these flashcards to review the answers before taking the quiz.

Study Flashcards

1. Approximately how long can an apple core take to decompose in a compost pile?

Answer: 2 weeks to 2 months

Source: • decomposition reference

2. Approximately how long can an apple core take to decompose in a natural outdoor environment?

Answer: 1 to 6 months

Source: • decomposition reference

3. Approximately how long may a banana peel take to decompose in compost conditions?

Answer: 2 to 5 weeks

Source: • decomposition reference

4. Approximately how long may a banana peel take to decompose in natural outdoor conditions?

Answer: 1 to 2 years

Source: • decomposition reference

5. Why do banana peels break down slower outdoors?

Answer: Waxes and fibers resist decomposition

Source: • decomposition reference

6. Approximately how long can a mango peel take to decompose in a compost pile?

Answer: 1 to 3 months

Source: • decomposition reference

7. Approximately how long can a mango peel take to decompose in a natural environment?

Answer: 6 months to 2 years

Source: • decomposition reference

8. Why do mango peels often decompose slower than many fruit peels?

Answer: They are thicker and more fibrous

Source: • decomposition reference

9. Approximately how long can orange or citrus peels take to decompose?

Answer: 6 months to 2 years

Source: • decomposition reference

10. Why do citrus peels often decompose slowly?

Answer: Citrus oils resist microbial breakdown

Source: • decomposition reference

11. Approximately how long can bread take to decompose?

Answer: A few days to several weeks

Source: • decomposition reference

12. Why does bread usually decompose quickly when moist?

Answer: It molds quickly

Source: • decomposition reference

13. Approximately how long can eggshells take to decompose?

Answer: 1 to 3 years

Source: • decomposition reference

14. What are eggshells mostly made of, causing them to break down slowly?

Answer: Calcium carbonate

Source: • decomposition reference

15. Approximately how long can newspaper take to decompose?

Answer: 2 to 6 weeks

Source: • decomposition reference

16. Approximately how long can cardboard take to decompose?

Answer: 2 months to 1 year

Source: • decomposition reference

17. What type of cardboard takes longer to decompose?

Answer: Wax-coated cardboard

Source: • decomposition reference

18. Approximately how long can a paper towel take to decompose?

Answer: 2 to 4 weeks

Source: • decomposition reference

19. Approximately how long can a plastic grocery bag take to begin fragmenting?

Answer: 10 to 20 years

Source: • decomposition reference

20. What may happen to a plastic grocery bag over hundreds of years?

Answer: It may continue breaking into smaller plastic fragments

Source: • decomposition reference

21. Approximately how long can a PET plastic bottle take to decompose?

Answer: 450 years or more

Source: • decomposition reference

22. What common items are often made from PET plastic?

Answer: Water and soda bottles

Source: • decomposition reference

23. Approximately how long may Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene persist?

Answer: 500 years or more

Source: • decomposition reference

24. How is expanded polystyrene often described in normal environments?

Answer: Effectively non-biodegradable

Source: • decomposition reference

25. How long may bioplastics or compostable plastics take in industrial composting?

Answer: 3 to 6 months

Source: • decomposition reference

26. Why may compostable plastics persist for years in natural environments?

Answer: They often need commercial or industrial composting conditions

Source: • decomposition reference

27. Approximately how long can an aluminum can take to decompose?

Answer: 80 to 200 years

Source: • decomposition reference

28. What is true about aluminum even though it decomposes slowly?

Answer: It is highly recyclable

Source: • decomposition reference

29. Approximately how long can a steel or tin can take to decompose?

Answer: Approximately 50 years

Source: • decomposition reference

30. What can slow the rusting or breakdown of steel and tin cans?

Answer: Protective coatings

Source: • decomposition reference

31. Approximately how long can iron take to decompose or rust away depending on moisture?

Answer: 10 to 100 years

Source: • decomposition reference

32. What environmental condition can make iron rust relatively quickly?

Answer: Wet environments

Source: • decomposition reference

33. Approximately how long can a glass bottle take to decompose?

Answer: 1 million years or more

Source: • decomposition reference

34. What is true about glass recycling?

Answer: Glass is technically recyclable indefinitely

Source: • decomposition reference

35. Approximately how long can a cotton shirt take to decompose?

Answer: 1 to 5 months

Source: • decomposition reference

36. Why do natural fibers like cotton usually decompose relatively quickly?

Answer: They are natural fibers

Source: • decomposition reference

37. Approximately how long can wool take to decompose?

Answer: 1 to 5 years

Source: • decomposition reference

38. What affects how quickly wool decomposes?

Answer: Thickness and environmental conditions

Source: • decomposition reference

39. Approximately how long can polyester clothing take to decompose?

Answer: 20 to 200 years

Source: • decomposition reference

40. Synthetic fibers such as polyester behave similarly to what material?

Answer: Plastics

Source: • decomposition reference

41. Approximately how long can untreated wood take to decompose?

Answer: 1 to 3 years

Source: • decomposition reference

42. What can accelerate the decomposition of untreated wood?

Answer: Moisture and fungi

Source: • decomposition reference

43. How long can treated lumber take to decay?

Answer: Decades

Source: • decomposition reference

44. What slows the decay of treated lumber?

Answer: Chemical preservatives

Source: • decomposition reference

45. Approximately how long can cigarette filters take to decompose?

Answer: 10 to 15 years

Source: • decomposition reference

46. Many cigarette filters are made from what material?

Answer: Cellulose acetate plastic

Source: • decomposition reference

47. Approximately how long can disposable diapers take to decompose?

Answer: 250 to 500 years

Source: • decomposition reference

48. What materials contribute to disposable diapers decomposing slowly?

Answer: Plastics, absorbent polymers, and synthetic materials

Source: • decomposition reference

49. Approximately how long can plastic-based wet wipes take to decompose?

Answer: Approximately 100 years

Source: • decomposition reference

50. Many flushable wipes contain what kind of fibers?

Answer: Synthetic fibers

Source: • decomposition reference

51. Which condition is one factor that affects decomposition time?

Answer: Moisture levels

Source: • environmental note

52. What is an important note about biodegradable items?

Answer: Biodegradable does not always mean fast decomposition

Source: • environmental note

53. What usually happens to plastic instead of fully biodegrading?

Answer: It fragments into microplastics

Source: • environmental note

54. Why can landfills slow decomposition?

Answer: Lack of oxygen can preserve materials

Source: • environmental note

55. What dramatically speeds up decomposition?

Answer: Composting

Source: • environmental note

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