Environmental Issues and Pollutants Questions and Answers

Q: Which one of the following air pollutant is responsible for acid rain ?

Acid rain is caused by \(\mathrm{SO_2}\).Sulphur dioxide from burning coal and oil reacts with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid, which falls as acid rain. Nitrogen oxides contribute in the same way by forming nitric acid.Carbon dioxide forms only the weak carbonic acid that makes normal rain slightly acidic and is chiefly a greenhouse gas; carbon monoxide is a toxic gas and ozone a secondary pollutant, neither of them the cause of acid rain.

Q: Wet part of the municipal solid waste can be put in use as soil conditioners by using :

The wet waste is used through composting.The wet, biodegradable part of municipal solid waste, such as food and garden waste, is broken down by micro-organisms into compost, which improves soil structure and fertility as a soil conditioner.Pyrolysis, burning and incineration destroy the waste by heat and leave ash or fuel products, not a soil conditioner.

Q: Which of the following is the effect of photochemical smog ?

The effect is Headaches, eyes, nose and throat irritation.Photochemical smog forms when nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react in sunlight to produce ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and aldehydes. These are strong irritants of the eyes and respiratory tract and cause headaches, coughing and breathing difficulty.Gastrointestinal, renal and bone disorders are not characteristic effects of smog, which acts mainly on the eyes and airways.

Q: What is the term for the process of inoculating microbes into soil ?

The process is Bioaugmentation.In bioremediation, bioaugmentation means adding (inoculating) selected microbial strains to contaminated soil or water to speed up the breakdown of pollutants.Biostimulation instead adds nutrients or oxygen to stimulate the microbes already present; bioventing supplies air to the unsaturated soil for the same purpose; and biosparging injects air below the water table. None of these adds microbes.

Q: How does nutrient pollution affect marine ecosystem ?

Nutrient pollution triggers harmful algal blooms.Excess nitrogen and phosphorus, mainly from fertiliser run-off and sewage, feed rapid growth of algae (eutrophication). Some blooms produce toxins, and when the algae die their decomposition uses up dissolved oxygen, creating 'dead zones' where fish and other marine life cannot survive.So nutrient pollution reduces biodiversity and water quality rather than improving them, and it harms coral reefs, where algae overgrow and smother the corals.

Q: Which of the following is the effect of air pollution on leaves that causes the killing or collapse of tissues ?

The effect is Necrosis.Necrosis is the death and collapse of plant tissue, seen as dead, often dark brown patches on leaves. Pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and ozone can kill leaf cells outright in this way.Chlorosis is yellowing from loss of chlorophyll, without the tissue dying. Abscission is the shedding of leaves, and epinasty is the downward curling of leaves caused by faster growth on their upper side. None of these is the killing or collapse of tissue itself.

11.

Which one of the following air pollutant is responsible for acid rain ?

A.\(\mathrm{SO_2}\)
B.\(\mathrm{CO_2}\)
C.CO
D.Ozone

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2023, SET Exam - 2023,

Answer: A

Acid rain is caused by \(\mathrm{SO_2}\).

Sulphur dioxide from burning coal and oil reacts with water and oxygen in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid, which falls as acid rain. Nitrogen oxides contribute in the same way by forming nitric acid.

Carbon dioxide forms only the weak carbonic acid that makes normal rain slightly acidic and is chiefly a greenhouse gas; carbon monoxide is a toxic gas and ozone a secondary pollutant, neither of them the cause of acid rain.

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12.

Wet part of the municipal solid waste can be put in use as soil conditioners by using :

A.Composting
B.Pyrolysis
C.Burning
D.Incineration

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2023, SET Exam - 2023,

Answer: A

The wet waste is used through composting.

The wet, biodegradable part of municipal solid waste, such as food and garden waste, is broken down by micro-organisms into compost, which improves soil structure and fertility as a soil conditioner.

Pyrolysis, burning and incineration destroy the waste by heat and leave ash or fuel products, not a soil conditioner.

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13.

Which of the following is the effect of photochemical smog ?

A.Headaches, eyes, nose and throat irritation
B.Gastrointestinal disorders
C.Renal disorders
D.Bone disorders

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2024, SET Exam - 2024,

Answer: A

The effect is Headaches, eyes, nose and throat irritation.

Photochemical smog forms when nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react in sunlight to produce ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and aldehydes. These are strong irritants of the eyes and respiratory tract and cause headaches, coughing and breathing difficulty.

Gastrointestinal, renal and bone disorders are not characteristic effects of smog, which acts mainly on the eyes and airways.

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14.

What is the term for the process of inoculating microbes into soil ?

A.Bioventing
B.Biostimulation
C.Bioaugmentation
D.Biosparaging

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2024, SET Exam - 2024,

Answer: C

The process is Bioaugmentation.

In bioremediation, bioaugmentation means adding (inoculating) selected microbial strains to contaminated soil or water to speed up the breakdown of pollutants.

Biostimulation instead adds nutrients or oxygen to stimulate the microbes already present; bioventing supplies air to the unsaturated soil for the same purpose; and biosparging injects air below the water table. None of these adds microbes.

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15.

How does nutrient pollution affect marine ecosystem ?

A.Enhances biodiversity
B.Promotes coral reef growth
C.Triggers harmful algal blooms
D.Improves water quality

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2025, SET Exam - 2025,

Answer: C

Nutrient pollution triggers harmful algal blooms.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus, mainly from fertiliser run-off and sewage, feed rapid growth of algae (eutrophication). Some blooms produce toxins, and when the algae die their decomposition uses up dissolved oxygen, creating 'dead zones' where fish and other marine life cannot survive.

So nutrient pollution reduces biodiversity and water quality rather than improving them, and it harms coral reefs, where algae overgrow and smother the corals.

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16.

Which of the following is the effect of air pollution on leaves that causes the killing or collapse of tissues ?

A.Necrosis
B.Chlorosis
C.Abscission
D.Epinasty

Exam Year(s)

MH SET - 2025, SET Exam - 2025,

Answer: A

The effect is Necrosis.

Necrosis is the death and collapse of plant tissue, seen as dead, often dark brown patches on leaves. Pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and ozone can kill leaf cells outright in this way.

Chlorosis is yellowing from loss of chlorophyll, without the tissue dying. Abscission is the shedding of leaves, and epinasty is the downward curling of leaves caused by faster growth on their upper side. None of these is the killing or collapse of tissue itself.

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17.

Which of the following is a source of methane ?

A.Wetlands
B.Foam Industry
C.Thermal Power Plants
D.Cement Industry

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: A

Wetlands are a major natural source of methane, since anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in waterlogged soils releases it. Other major sources are rice fields, livestock and landfills. The foam industry is associated with CFCs and other chemicals, thermal power plants chiefly with carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, and cement industry with carbon dioxide and dust. The answer is wetlands. Rice fields, livestock and landfills are the other large sources, while fossil fuel use also adds a share.

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18.

'Minamata disaster' in Japan was caused by pollution due to

A.Lead
B.Mercury
C.Cadmium
D.Zinc

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: B

The Minamata disaster in Japan (first recognised in 1956) was caused by mercury, discharged as methylmercury in the waste water of a chemical factory into Minamata Bay. It built up in fish and shellfish eaten by the people and caused a severe neurological disease. Lead, cadmium and zinc are not the cause of this disease, although cadmium caused the Itai-itai disease in Japan. The answer is mercury.

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19.

Biomagnification means increase in the

A.concentration of pollutants in living organisms
B.number of species
C.size of living organisms
D.biomass

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: A

Biomagnification (biological magnification) is the increase in the concentration of a pollutant such as DDT or mercury in the tissues of living organisms at each higher level of a food chain. It is not an increase in the number of species, the size of organisms or the biomass. The answer is the concentration of pollutants in living organisms. For example, DDT sprayed in small amounts in water can reach high levels in fish-eating birds, thinning their eggshells.

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20.

Irritation in eyes is caused by the pollutant

A.Sulphur di-oxide
B.Ozone
C.PAN
D.Nitrous oxide

Exam Year(s)

UGC NET - 2012,

Answer: C

Irritation in the eyes is caused by PAN, peroxyacetyl nitrate, which is a component of photochemical smog formed in sunlight from vehicle exhaust. It is a strong eye irritant. Sulphur dioxide mainly affects the respiratory tract and ozone also attacks the lungs, while nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas and not mainly an eye irritant. The answer is PAN. The sources of the pollutant are the exhaust gases of vehicles and industry, which react with sunlight.

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