Pollution
Pollution is the beginning of harmful material into the environment. These harmful materials are also known as pollutants. Pollutants are natural, like- volcanic ash. They can also be created by human activity, such as waste or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants the recompense quality of air, water, and land.
Q.1 Which of the following causes acid rain?
a) Sulfur dioxide
b) Carbon monoxide
c) Carbon dioxide
d) None of the above
Ans- (a)
- A high concentration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in raindrops to form sulfuric acid which causes acid rain.
- Sulfur dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide is generated by the burning of coal in powerhouses and automobiles. For example-cars, trucks, etc.
- It causes chlorosis( loss of chlorophyll) and necrosis of plants, irritation in the eyes, and injury to the respiratory tract (asthma, bronchitis) in humans responsible for discolouration and deterioration of buildings.
Q2. Which is ozone depletion?
a) Chlorofluorocarbons
b) Smog
c) Nitrogen
d) None of the above
Ans- (a)
- Chlorofluorocarbons develop depletion of the ozone layer.
- The stratosphere consists of the ozone layer that supports the earth’s surface from excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun.
- Chlorine from chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used for refrigeration, air conditioning, fire extinguishers, cleaning solvents, and aerosols causes damage to the ozone layer chlorine consists in the CFCs on reaching the ozone (O3) layer split the ozone molecules to form oxygen (O2).
- Thus the amount of ozone is reduced and cannot block the penetration of UV radiation.
There has been a reduction of the ozone layer over the Arctic and Antarctic regions. This is known as an ozone hole.
Q3 Noise level is measured in the terms of
a) Decibel
b) Dobson
c) Newton
d) Pascal
Ans- (a)
- Noise level is measured in terms of decibels (dB).
- Noise can be easily defined as an “unwanted sound’’.
- Noise is one of the most pervasive pollutants.
- The major sources of noise pollution are the use of loudspeakers, loud music systems, and television in public places as means of transport i.e. automobiles, railways, aircraft, etc. heavy machines in industries fireworks.
- Noise pollution leads to irritation and increased blood pressure, loss of temper, decrease in work efficiency, and loss of hearing.
- W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has explained optimum noise levels as 45 dB by day and 35 dB by night. Anything above 80 dB is hazardous.
Q5. Which is related to biodegradable waste?
a) Aluminum
b) Plastic
c) Glass
d) Leaves
Ans- (d)
- Sewage, kitchen waste, agricultural and animal wastes such as leaves, and twigs. hay, dung, etc. are biodegradable waste.
- The waste generated from different sources can be categorized into two types:
- Biodegradable waste includes substances that can be degraded by microbes into harmless and non-toxic substances.
- Non-biodegradable waste cannot be easily degraded.
- Aluminium cans, plastics, glass, DDT, etc, are examples of non-biodegradable wastes.
Q5. The phenomena of nutrient enrichment of the water body are called
a) Eutrophication
b) Biomagnification
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above
Ans- (a)
- The phenomenon of nutrient enrichment of a water body is called eutrophication.
- The discharge of domestic effluents, agricultural surface runoff, ground drainage, and industrial effluents into a water body leads to rapid nutrient enrichment in the water body.
- The excessive nutrient prosperity in a water body encourages the growth of algae duckweed, water hyacinth, phytoplankton, and other aquatic plants.
- The biological demand for oxygen (BOD) increases with the growth of aquatic organisms. As more plants grow and die, dead and decaying plants and organic matter are acted upon by heterotrophic protozoans and bacteria, depleting the water of dissolved oxygen (DO).
- Deficiency in DO results in the sudden death of a large population of aquatic organisms including fish and plants.
The sudden and explosive growth of phytoplankton and algae that give water its green colour is known as the water bloom or “algal bloom”. - These phytoplankton release toxic substances into the water, which leads to the sudden death of a large population of fish. This phenomenon of nutrient enrichment of a water body is called eutrophication.
Q7. Which one of the following is a non-biodegradable waste?
a) Leaves
b) Banana peel
c) Glass
d) None of the above
Ans- (c)
- Aluminium cans, plastics, glass, DDT, etc, are examples of non-biodegradable wastes.
- Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste material
- The waste generated from various sources can be categorized into two types:
- Biodegradable waste includes substances that can be degraded by microbes into harmless and non-toxic substances.
- Sewage, kitchen waste, agricultural and animal wastes like leaves, and twigs. hay, dung, etc. are biodegradable waste.
- Non-biodegradable waste cannot be easily degraded.
- Aluminium cans, plastics, glass, DDT, etc, are examples of non-biodegradable wastes.
- Radioactive wastes produced during nuclear reactions take a long time to decay and are harmful to human beings.
- If waste material is processed by some means and converted to a product, we call the process recycling.
Recycling helps inefficient management of wastes and also reduces the load on natural resources.
Q7. How many types of air pollutants are there?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
Ans- (b)
- Air pollutants are of two types
- suspended particulate matter, and
- gases like carbon dioxide CO2, NOx, etc.
- Air pollutants cause injury to all living organisms.
- Smokestacks of thermal power plants, smelters, and other industries release particulate and gaseous air pollutants together with harmless gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, etc
- These pollutants must be unrelated/ filtered out before releasing the harmless gases into the atmosphere.
- There are several ways of removing particulate matter; the most widely used of which is the electrostatic precipitator, which can remove over 99 per cent of particulate matter present in the exhaust from a thermal power plant.
Q8. Chipko movement related to
a) Tree conservation
b) Water conservation
c) Prevention of air pollution
d) None of the above
Ans- (a)
- Chipko Movement of Garhwali Himalayas for the conservation of the trees.
- In 1974, local women showed enormous bravery in protecting trees from the ax of contractors by hugging them.
People all over the world have acclaimed the Chipko movement. - Realizing the significance of participation by local communities, the Government of India in the 1980s introduced the concept of Joint Forest Management (JFM) to work short range with the local communities for supporting and managing forests.
Q9. When did the government of India pass the water act?
a) 1974
b) 1980
c) 1981
d) 1987
Ans- (a)
- Realizing the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the water bodies, the Government of India has passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to safeguard our water resources.
- In India, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act came into force in 1981 but was amended in 1987 to include noise as an air pollutant.
Q.10 BOD stands for?
a) Biological Organs Demand
b) Biological Oxygen Demand
c) Biotechnology Ozone Demand
d) Biotic Organic Demand
Ans-(b)
- BOD stands for Biological Oxygen Demand.
- Biological oxygen demand is needed to decompose and decompose organic material.
- Biological Oxygen Demand is a sign of polluted water
- An increase in BOD indicates that the oxygen content has decreased, making the reservoir a biological desert.
Q.11 What produces ultraviolet rays of the sun?
a) Carbon Oxide
b) Sulphur Di Oxide
c) Ozone
d) Fluoride
Ans-(c )
- UV rays from sunlight produce ozone.
- Ultraviolet waves have a wavelength of -1 x 10-8 to -4 x 10-7 meters.
- Ultraviolet waves have a frequency of -7.5 x 1014 to -3 x 1016 Hz.
- The wavelength of ultraviolet rays is shorter than that of visible light.
Q12.Which of the following is a major region of water pollution?
a) Sewage waste
b) Industries Waste
c) Rain
d) All of the above
Ans-(b)
- Industrial waste is the main region of water pollution.
- It is the waste that is generated as a result of industrial processes and is mainly released into rivers.
- Sewage waste and household detergents that are used to wash are water sources of pollution because they contain a lot of harmful chemicals and microorganisms that reduce water quality and hurt aquatic life.
Q.13 What is the main air pollutant?.
a) Carbon monoxide
b) Carbon dioxide
c) Sulfur
d) Nitrogen
Ans-(a)
- Carbon monoxide is the main air pollutant.
- Air pollutants generate injury to all living organisms.
- Smokestacks of thermal power plants, smelters, and other industries release particulate and gaseous air pollutants together with harmless gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, etc
- These pollutants must be unrelated/ filtered out before releasing the harmless gases into the atmosphere.
Q.14 Which is not an ionized radioactive?
a) Alpha Rays
b) Beta Rays
c) Gamma Rays
d) Infrared Rays
Ans-(d)
- Non-ionizing radiation is low-energy electromagnetic waves that cannot ionize electrons from atoms or molecules.
- Common examples of such radiation are ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, and radio waves.
- Common examples of such radiation are ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwave, and radio waves.
- Whereas ionizing radiation is a shorter wavelength/higher frequency with higher energy.
- Ionizing radiation has enough energy to generate ions in the matter at the molecular level.
Q.15 The non-polluting source of energy is?
a) Nucleus energy
b) Solar energy
c) Petrol
d) Diesel
Ans-(b)
- Solar energy is a universal, inexhaustible, non-conventional resource, which is non-polluting.
- It is considered universal because solar energy is available everywhere and does not cause any kind of pollution.
Q.16 Noise pollution is produced when the noise exceeds?
a) 40-75 dB
b) 50-80 dB
c) 80-99 dB
d) 30-65 dB
Ans-(c)
- The grades of ambient noise pollution as per Noise Pollution Control and Regulation Rules 2000 are as follows;
- Industrial areas: 70-75 dB
- Commercial areas: 55-65 dB
- Residential areas: 45-55 dB
- Silence zone: 40-50 dB
- Indoor limit: <30 dB According to WHO
- Noise greater than 75 dB over long exposure can cause hearing damage.
- Noise above 120 dB can cause biochemical changes in human bodies.
Q.17 Which is not a source of air pollution?
a) Automobiles
b) Industries
c) Dust Particles
d) Solid Waste
Ans-(d)
- Automobiles and Industries throw a large number of pollutants because they run on fossil fuels.
- Dust Particles are also considered air pollutants under particulate matter.
- Solid waste is not a source of air pollution as long as it does not emit any harmful gases.
- Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, and Particulate Matter are the major air pollutants.
Q.18 What is the indicator of pollution in a polluted lake?
a) Daphnia
b) Frog
c) Artemia
d) None of these
Ans-(a)
- Daphnia is the indicator of pollution in a polluted lake
- Daphnia is a small organism that is sensitive to pollutants.
- The number of these organisms decreases with the pollutants in the water.
- They are used as bioindicators for water pollution.
Q.19 Which of the following is the main polluting factor?
a) Human
b) Animal
c) Hydrocarbon
d) None of these
Ans-(a)
- Human is the main polluting factor.
- Humans use water to clean utensils and washcloths. Water pollution is caused by chemical water discharged into the road and drain.
- Air pollution is caused by humans because used vehicles and vehicles release harmful gases.
Q.20 Which one of the following is not present in acid rain?
a) Nitric acid
b) Sulfuric acid
c) Carbonic acid
d) Acetic acid
Ans- (d)
- Acid rain is caused by the transformation of atmospheric gases into acidic compounds.
- The NOx, SOx, and CO2 present in the atmosphere react with water vapour and sunlight to form HNO3, H2SO4, and H2CO3 which are present in acid rain.