Question

Use the image above to help answer this question. Dark black lines represent rivers.

A rare toxic chemical polluted a lake in Wyoming. Many years later scientists discovered that a city in Kansas, 1000 miles away from the toxic spill, was polluted with the same rare toxic chemical. Scientists believe that the toxic chemical found in the Kansas well was the result of the toxic spill that occurred 1000 miles away. The people in Kansas were very confused about the scientist’s discovery. How could this be possible since the well was so far away from the lake or any river?
A.Pollution traveled through the surface water to reach the unsaturated zone.
B. Both locations where toxic pollution was found were along the same river.
C.The air became polluted and the wind carried the pollution to the well.
D.Both locations are in the same watershed.

Answer 1

B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely cause of this would be that both locations where toxic pollution was found were along the same river. The toxic spill that originated in Wyoming most likely found its way to the nearby river which after a while contaminatated the entire river which travelled all the way to Kansas. Therefore, contaminating the well which gets its water from the river. Such a river that travels near both of these locations is the Cheyenne River, therefore under these circumstances it would be relatively easy for both of these bodies of water to become contaminated with the same toxin.