problem with "as...as"

[klater]

1. Mixed with an equal part of water, ethylene glycol, a compound commonly used as an automotive antifreeze, is effective at as low temperatures as -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. The Environmental Protection Agency frequently puts mandatory controls on toxic substances that present as little risk as one chance in a million of causing cancer.

Why is the first wrong while the second is correct?

"”"”"”"”"”"”
*1.Mixed with an equal part of water, ethylene glycol, a compound commonly used as an automotive antifreeze, is effective at temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
A. temperatures as low √
B. temperatures so low
C. as low temperatures
D. as few
E. as little

*2.prep 2-9 The Environmental Protection Agency frequently puts mandatory controls on toxic substances that present as little risk as one in a million chances to cause cancer.
(A) as little risk as one in a million chances to cause
(B) as little risk as one chance in a million of causing √
(C) as little risk as one chance in a million that it will cause
(D) a risk as little as one chance in a million for causing
(E) a risk as little as one chance in a million for it to cause

[RonPurewal]

Please read the forum rules -- we need the original source of everything that's posted here.

If these are from practice problems, we also need the original problems with all of their answer choices.

Thanks.

[klater]

Please read the forum rules -- we need the original source of everything that's posted here.

If these are from practice problems, we also need the original problems with all of their answer choices.

Thanks.

Sorry, I just updated the post.

[RonPurewal]

Thanks.
This is a good question. I thought about it, and here's what I came up with:
"As ___ NOUN as" is only allowed if ___ = "much", "many", "few", or "little".
E.g., Manual High has as many students as Male High.

(Disclaimer: This is just the result of a few minutes of thinking about examples on my part. It's possible that I'm not thinking of everything here.)

[klater]

Thanks.
This is a good question. I thought about it, and here's what I came up with:
"As ___ NOUN as" is only allowed if ___ = "much", "many", "few", or "little".
E.g., Manual High has as many students as Male High.

(Disclaimer: This is just the result of a few minutes of thinking about examples on my part. It's possible that I'm not thinking of everything here.)

Thanks a lot!

[RonPurewal]

Sure.

[khannagreat]

Sure.

Sorry for an off topic question, but could you please tell if sentences such as "it being a rainy day, she carried an umbrella'. Are right on thr gmat?
Can we use it being and there being structure correct?

[RonPurewal]

Sure.

Sorry for an off topic question, but could you please tell if sentences such as "it being a rainy day, she carried an umbrella'. Are right on thr gmat?

No. Those are wrong.

Don't forget that there's no such thing as "right on the gmat". The gmat tests standard written English, so you should really just be asking whether xxxx thing is correct in standard English.

[aflaamM589]

Ron, allow me to summarize discussion on this idiom

As X as Y--> X cannot be plural.
however X can only be plural if we have
John has as many X as Y--> X can be plural
many can only be replaced with "much", "few", or "little and all the resulting constructions will be correct.

Please validate.
thank you
Have a nice day

[RonPurewal]

As X as Y--> X cannot be plural.

I didn't understand that ^^