The presence of sandy soil and a high water table __________ the potential risk of groundwater contamination.

• A. increases
• B. decreases
• C. eliminates
• D. have no effect

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that soil texture and the water table control how easily pesticides move from the root zone to groundwater. Sandy soils have large pore spaces and little organic matter, so pesticides don’t bind well and can move downward with infiltrating water quickly (leaching). When the water table is high, groundwater is near the surface, leaving a shorter distance for any leached chemicals to reach it. Put together, these conditions make it easier for pesticides to reach groundwater, increasing contamination risk. These factors would not lower the risk, eliminate it, or have no effect; they actively raise the chance of groundwater contamination. This is why management choices often favor pesticides with lower leaching potential and practices that reduce deep percolation in sandy soils and areas with shallow groundwater.