220-1102 Environmental Awareness and Impact — 20 Questions

Question 1

A client wants to upgrade their entire office of 50 computers and asks for advice on environmentally friendly disposal of the old units. Which approach best aligns with environmental best practices?

Accepted Answer

Contract a certified e-waste recycling company to handle the disposal.. Option C is correct because certified e-waste recycling companies follow strict environmental regulations (e.g., the Basel Convention and local e-waste laws) to ensure hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium are safely extracted and disposed of, while also securely destroying data through methods such as degaussing or physical shredding. This approach minimizes environmental harm and aligns with the EPA's recommended practices for responsible electronics recycling.

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Donate the computers to a local school without wiping data.

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Sell the computers to a scrap metal dealer.

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Have employees take the computers home for personal use.

Question 2

A company's IT policy requires that all disposed hard drives be physically destroyed to prevent data breaches. Which method has the least environmental impact while ensuring data destruction?

Accepted Answer

Shred the hard drive using an industrial shredder and then recycle the metal fragments.. Option C is correct because industrial shredding physically destroys the platters into small fragments, making data recovery impossible, and the resulting metal fragments can be recycled, minimizing environmental impact. Unlike degaussing or drilling, shredding ensures complete destruction without leaving large e-waste components, and the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals reduces raw material extraction.

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Use a degausser to erase the drive and then recycle it.

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Drill holes through the platters and then dispose of the drive in e-waste.

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Overwrite the drive with zeros multiple times and then donate it.

Question 3

During a printer toner replacement, a technician accidentally spills toner powder on the carpet. What is the proper cleanup procedure?

Accepted Answer

Blot the toner with a cold, damp cloth and then use a HEPA-filter vacuum.. Option C is correct because toner powder is extremely fine and can become airborne if mishandled. Blotting with a cold, damp cloth prevents the toner from spreading, and using a HEPA-filter vacuum ensures that microscopic toner particles are trapped without being exhausted back into the environment. Standard vacuum cleaners lack HEPA filtration and can release toner dust into the air, causing respiratory hazards.

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Use a vacuum cleaner with a standard bag to suck up the toner.

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Wipe the toner with a damp cloth using hot water.

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Sweep the toner into a dustpan and dispose of it in the trash.

Question 4

A technician is decommissioning a server room and finds several old cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors that still work. The company wants to dispose of them responsibly. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Contact a certified CRT recycler for pickup and recycling.. CRT monitors contain leaded glass and other hazardous materials (e.g., phosphors, barium) that are classified as universal waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Disposing of them in a dumpster or donating them for non-certified reuse can violate environmental regulations. A certified CRT recycler ensures the monitors are dismantled safely, with leaded glass separated and recycled in compliance with EPA guidelines.

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Sell the monitors to a local thrift store for reuse.

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Break the glass tubes to reduce volume and then place them in a dumpster.

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Donate the monitors to a school art department for projects.

Question 5

A customer reports that their laptop battery drains quickly and the device gets very hot. They want to know the safest way to dispose of the old battery after replacement. What should you advise?

Accepted Answer

Take the battery to a certified e-waste recycling center.. Option B is correct because lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries contain hazardous materials that can leak and cause environmental damage if disposed of improperly. Certified e-waste recycling centers have the specialized equipment and processes to safely extract and recycle these materials, preventing toxic exposure and complying with environmental regulations like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

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Throw the battery in the regular trash bin.

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Burn the battery in an open area to neutralize it.

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Store the battery in a metal container until it stops holding a charge.

Question 6

A customer complains that their computer emits a strong chemical smell and is unusually hot. After inspection, you find the power supply is failing and leaking a brown, oily substance. How should you handle the power supply disposal?

Accepted Answer

Put the power supply in an anti-static bag, seal it, and label it as hazardous e-waste.. Option B is correct because a failing power supply leaking a brown, oily substance (typically from swollen or ruptured capacitors) is classified as hazardous e-waste due to toxic materials like lead, cadmium, and electrolyte fluids. Placing it in an anti-static bag prevents short circuits during transport, and labeling it as hazardous ensures proper disposal per environmental regulations such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or local e-waste directives.

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Place the power supply in a standard trash bag and throw it in the dumpster.

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Clean the power supply with isopropyl alcohol and then recycle it normally.

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Disassemble the power supply to remove the leaking capacitor and then dispose of the rest.

Question 7

A small business wants to reduce its environmental footprint by properly managing old computer equipment. They ask which components must be handled separately due to hazardous materials. What should you identify?

Accepted Answer

CRT monitors. CRT monitors contain leaded glass in the cathode ray tube and significant amounts of lead in the solder and phosphor coating, making them hazardous electronic waste that must be handled separately under regulations like the EPA's RCRA and the EU's WEEE Directive. Unlike LCDs, which may contain mercury in backlights but are often managed differently, CRTs require specialized recycling to prevent lead leaching into groundwater.

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LCD monitors

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Keyboard and mouse

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Ethernet cables

Question 8

A technician is configuring a new workstation for a customer who is concerned about energy consumption. Which setting should the technician enable to reduce power usage when the computer is idle?

Accepted Answer

Enable sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity.. Option C is correct because enabling sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity places the computer into a low-power state (S3 sleep, Suspend-to-RAM) where the CPU is powered down but RAM retains data, allowing a quick wake-up. This directly reduces energy consumption during idle periods more effectively than simply turning off the display, as it cuts power to the processor, drives, and most peripherals.

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Disable the screensaver and set the display to turn off after 30 minutes.

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Enable hibernation mode after 1 hour of inactivity.

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Set the power plan to 'High performance' to reduce power draw.

Question 9

A technician is tasked with disposing of several old UPS batteries from a server room. What is the most environmentally responsible method?

Accepted Answer

Take them to a local battery recycling center.. Option B is correct because UPS batteries contain hazardous materials such as lead and sulfuric acid, which must be handled through specialized recycling processes to prevent environmental contamination. Local battery recycling centers are equipped to safely extract and reuse these materials, complying with regulations like the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in the U.S.

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Place them in the regular dumpster for pickup.

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Burn them in an incinerator to recover energy.

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Store them indefinitely in a sealed container.

Question 10

During a network equipment upgrade, a technician finds several old switches with visibly leaking capacitors on the circuit boards. What is the correct procedure for handling these switches?

Accepted Answer

Wear nitrile gloves, place the switches in a sealed bag, and label for e-waste recycling.. Leaking capacitors often contain hazardous materials such as electrolytes or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which require special handling to prevent environmental contamination and personal injury. The correct procedure is to wear nitrile gloves (to avoid skin contact with corrosive or toxic substances), place the switches in a sealed bag to contain any leaked material, and label them for e-waste recycling, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations like the WEEE Directive or RCRA.

Answer

Power them on to see if they still function before disposal.

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Use compressed air to blow out the leaked substance and then recycle the switches.

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Dispose of the switches in the regular office recycling bin.

Question 11

A small office wants to dispose of 20 old CRT monitors. The local landfill does not accept e-waste. Which disposal method is both legal and environmentally responsible?

Accepted Answer

Contact a certified e-waste recycling company to pick them up.. CRT monitors contain hazardous materials like lead and phosphor, making them e-waste that cannot be disposed of in regular trash. Certified e-waste recycling companies follow environmental regulations to safely dismantle and recycle these components, ensuring legal compliance and responsible handling.

Answer

Place them in the dumpster behind the office after hours.

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Break them down and put the plastic and metal in separate recycling bins.

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Sell them to a scrap metal dealer.

Question 12

A company is moving to a new office and needs to dispose of 200 fluorescent light tubes from the old ceiling fixtures. What is the legally required and environmentally responsible disposal method?

Accepted Answer

Contact a certified universal waste recycler to pick them up.. Fluorescent light tubes contain mercury, a hazardous substance, so they are classified as universal waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Option B is correct because certified universal waste recyclers are legally authorized to handle, transport, and recycle mercury-containing lamps, ensuring environmental compliance and safety.

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Break them into small pieces and place them in a sealed bag in the trash.

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Place them in the regular recycling bin for glass.

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Burn them in an industrial incinerator.

Question 13

During a software deployment, a technician must dispose of 50 unused software license CDs. The CDs are still sealed. What is the most environmentally friendly way to handle them?

Accepted Answer

Donate them to a local school or non-profit that can use them.. Donating or recycling the CDs through a media recycling program is the best approach. CDs are made of polycarbonate and can be recycled, but they should not go into regular trash. This question tests knowledge of proper disposal of electronic media.

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Throw them in the general office trash bin.

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Shred them and put the pieces in the recycling bin.

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Burn them in an incinerator to generate energy.

Question 14

A technician is configuring power settings for a server room that houses critical equipment. The UPS battery backup needs to be tested monthly. What is the most environmentally sound way to conduct the test?

Accepted Answer

Use the UPS management software to run a self-test that checks battery health without full discharge.. Option B is correct because using UPS management software to run a self-test checks battery health without a full discharge, which conserves battery cycle life and avoids unnecessary waste. This method typically performs a brief impedance or load test that verifies the battery's ability to hold a charge without stressing it, aligning with environmental best practices by reducing battery replacement frequency and energy consumption.

Answer

Unplug the server from the UPS to simulate a power failure.

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Disconnect the UPS from mains power and let the battery drain completely.

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Replace the UPS battery every month to avoid testing.

Question 15

A company is upgrading its network switches and has 10 old switches that still work. The local school district has requested donations of working equipment. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Donate the switches to the school district.. Donating the switches to the school district aligns with the principle of reuse, which is the most environmentally responsible option before recycling or disposal. The switches are still functional, so extending their lifecycle reduces e-waste and benefits the community. This practice supports the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle.

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Throw the switches in the company dumpster.

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Send the switches to a recycler even though they work.

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Keep the switches in storage indefinitely.

Question 16

While upgrading a workstation, you find that the old lithium-ion battery is swollen. What is the safest and most environmentally sound way to handle this battery?

Accepted Answer

Place it in a fireproof container and contact a hazardous waste disposal service.. A swollen lithium-ion battery is a fire hazard and must be handled with care. Placing it in a fireproof container and contacting a hazardous waste facility ensures safe disposal. This question emphasizes the importance of proper battery disposal to prevent fires and environmental contamination.

Answer

Puncture the battery to release the pressure, then throw it in the trash.

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Put it in a sealed plastic bag and put it in the regular recycling bin.

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Freeze the battery to stop the swelling, then dispose of it in the trash.

Question 17

A security incident occurred when an employee disposed of a hard drive by throwing it in the trash. The hard drive contained unencrypted customer data. Which two practices should have been followed to prevent this environmental and security breach? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Degauss the hard drive before disposal.. Option A is correct because degaussing a hard drive uses a strong magnetic field to disrupt the magnetic domains on the platters, rendering the data permanently unrecoverable. This is a NIST SP 800-88 approved method for sanitizing magnetic media and ensures that unencrypted customer data cannot be retrieved after disposal.

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Perform a quick format of the drive before disposal.

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Delete the files and empty the Recycle Bin.

Question 18

A customer reports that their office printer is emitting a strong, acrid smell and producing distorted prints. The printer uses a fuser unit that has been in service for five years. What should you recommend as the most environmentally responsible action?

Accepted Answer

Replace only the fuser unit and recycle the old one through a certified e-waste recycler.. Option B is correct because the fuser unit is a consumable component that degrades over time, and replacing only the faulty fuser while recycling the old one through a certified e-waste recycler minimizes electronic waste. This approach addresses the root cause (a worn-out fuser) without discarding the entire printer, which would generate unnecessary e-waste and violate environmental best practices.

Answer

Replace the entire printer with a new Energy Star model.

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Continue using the printer until it fails completely.

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Disassemble the printer and dispose of all parts in the general trash.

Question 19

A technician is tasked with setting up power management on 50 company workstations to reduce energy consumption. Users must be able to save work before the computer sleeps. Which power setting should be configured?

Accepted Answer

Set the computer to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity.. Option B is correct because setting the computer to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity allows users to save their work before the system enters a low-power state. Sleep keeps the system state in RAM, enabling a quick resume, while still reducing energy consumption. This balances power savings with user control, as the user can manually trigger sleep after saving work.

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Set the computer to hibernate after 15 minutes of inactivity.

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Disable all power-saving features to ensure maximum performance.

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Set the monitor to turn off after 5 minutes but keep the computer on.

Question 20

A user complains that their laptop battery drains quickly and the device gets very hot. The battery is a lithium-ion type and is three years old. What is the most environmentally responsible recommendation?

Accepted Answer

Replace the battery with a compatible model and recycle the old battery at a certified e-waste facility.. Option C is correct because it directly addresses the user's complaint (battery degradation causing heat and poor runtime) while ensuring responsible disposal of the hazardous lithium-ion battery. Recycling at a certified e-waste facility prevents toxic materials from entering landfills and allows recovery of valuable metals, aligning with environmental best practices.

Answer

Replace the entire laptop with a new Energy Star model.

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Remove the battery and run the laptop only on AC power.

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Continue using the laptop until the battery fails completely.