Environmental Pollution MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Environmental Pollution - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Compost.

Key Points

• Compost is an example of organic manure, created by the decomposition of organic matter such as plant and animal waste.
• It is rich in nutrients and organic matter that enhance soil fertility and promote healthy plant growth.
• Compost helps improve soil structure, water retention, and aeration, making it an environmentally sustainable fertilizer.
• Unlike chemical fertilizers, compost reduces the risk of soil degradation and supports long-term agricultural productivity.
• Its usage is a cornerstone of organic farming practices, promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.

Additional Information

• Organic Manure:
  • Organic manure is derived from natural sources like plant residues, animal waste, and decomposed organic matter.
  • Examples include compost, farmyard manure (FYM), green manure, and vermicompost.
  • It supplies essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, along with trace elements.
  • It enhances soil microbial activity, contributing to better nutrient cycling and soil health.
• Difference Between Organic and Chemical Fertilizers:
  • Organic fertilizers are natural and biodegradable, while chemical fertilizers are synthetic and can lead to soil and water pollution.
  • Organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly, supporting long-term soil health, whereas chemical fertilizers provide a quick nutrient boost but may harm soil quality over time.
• Environmental Benefits of Compost:
  • Composting reduces the amount of organic waste sent to landfills, minimizing methane emissions.
  • It helps in carbon sequestration and reduces the carbon footprint of farming practices.
• Challenges with Chemical Fertilizers:
  • Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can lead to soil salinity, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
  • They can also disrupt soil microbial communities, affecting long-term agricultural sustainability.

• Grassland is something which occurs naturally and humans do not take part in its origin. It is mostly composed of grasses, sedge and rush families along with legumes and herbs.
• A grassland has different climates from one end to another and it occurs naturally in all the continents excluding Antarctica due to its extremely low temperature.

The solution is All of these

Concept

• Soil pollution- the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentration to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem.
•  It can be also defined as the addition of substances to the soil, which adversely affects the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil and reduces its productivity.
  •           Negative Pollution- Deterioration in the productivity of soil due to a reduction in quality or quantity of topsoil is called negative soil pollution. It is caused by over-use and erosion.
  • Positive Pollution- It is a reduction in soil productivity and deterioration in the quality of plants.due to the addition of pollution from the air, faulty sanitation, industrial effluents, supra-optimum fertilizers, and pesticides.
  • Third Pollution- It is landscape pollution in which the land is so severely misused that it becomes filthy and odorous because of the dumping of garbage, rubbish, sludge, ash, industrial wastes, etc. over it.

Explanation

• The use of pesticides should be minimized. Biological control should be known and imple­mented.
• The use of fertilizers should be highly judicious.
• Cropping techniques should be improved so that weeds are unable to take a foothold in the fields. This would automatically reduce the use of weedicides or herbicides.
• Special pits or low-lying areas are selected for the dumping of industrial wastes.
• Improvement in mining techniques and transport of extracted materials so that spread of mine dust should be minimized. The area should not be left barren and dry. Instead, afforestation should be carried out as soon as it becomes feasible.
• Controlled grazing and proper forest management.
• Windbreaks and windshields in areas exposed to wind erosion.
• Planting of soil binding grasses and other perennials along the banks and slopes prone to rapid erosion.
• Afforestation and reforestation.

Key Points

• Particulate matter
  • Particulate matter is a mixture of a variety of microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air.
  • So, they are together called suspended particulate matter (SPM).
  • They lie in the size range of <0.1 µm and up to some 100 µm.
• Arresters
  • Common device used to separate particulate matter in the air.
• Scrubbers
  • A device that is used to separate the dust and dehydrate the wet gases.
  • The scrubber can remove gases like sulphur dioxide.
  • In a scrubber, the exhaust is passed through a spray of water or lime which traps SO₂.
• Filters
  • High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) is one of the most important technologies for regulating air quality.
  • It uses a layering of several filters to ensure that all particles are caught and the only air that leaves is of the purest quality.
• Incinerators
  • Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials.
  • This transforms the waste material into ash, gases, particles, and heat that are then stored in the electricity generation application.

Explanation:

• Incinerators do not regulate particulate emissions at all.
• Precipitators are built-in separately to clear out the gases as a result of incineration. 
• So, arresters, scrubbers, and filters control particulate matter but incinerators combust waste material and DO NOT regulate the particulate matter.

Key Point

• The prime contaminants from agricultural and industrial waste are nitrates and phosphates.
• They cause the growth of planktonic algae, called an algal bloom.
• Algal bloom increases BOD and decreases dissolved oxygen which is important for other aquatic organisms.
• Pollutants also increase the amount of nutrients and decomposers in the water.
• This process eventually causes accelerated eutrophication.

Explanation:

• Eutrophication 
  • Over the centuries, as silt and organic debris pile up, the lake grows shallower and warmer.
  • Warm-water organisms start growing and marsh plants take root and begin to fill in the original lake basin.
  • Eventually, the lake gives way to large masses of floating plants and it is finally converted into the land.
  • Depending on the climate, size of the lake, and other factors, the natural aging of a lake may span thousands of years.
• Accelerated Eutrophication
  • Our sewage, industry effluents, agriculture waste, and other wastes have nutrients and organic matter.
  • They contain organic matter, nitrates, phosphates, etc.
  • Increased nutrient content  of water body eventually starts eutrophication
  • Natural eutrophication which takes thousands of years is accelerated due to the addition of a lot of pollutants.
• Algal Bloom
  • Streams draining into the lake introduce nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which encourage the growth of aquatic organisms. 
  • The presence of large amounts of nutrients in waters also causes algal bloom
  • Algal blooms cause deterioration of the water quality and fish mortality.

The correct answer is Option 2. 

Key Points

•  Increasing the efficiency of the combustion process can indeed help reduce the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels. Here are a few ways in which efficiency improvements can be achieved:
  • Advanced Combustion Technologies: Utilizing advanced combustion technologies such as pre-combustion chambers, staged combustion, and optimized fuel-air mixing can enhance combustion efficiency. These methods ensure that fuel is burned more completely, reducing the production of pollutants.
  • Fuel Quality: Using higher-quality fuels with lower impurities and better combustion properties can improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions. This includes using cleaner-burning fuels such as low-sulfur diesel or natural gas instead of coal or heavy oils.
  • Cogeneration and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems: Cogeneration or CHP systems produce both electricity and useful heat from the same energy source. By capturing waste heat from power generation and utilizing it for heating or other industrial processes, these systems improve overall energy efficiency, reducing the need for separate fuel burning and associated emissions.
  • Energy Efficiency Measures: Implementing energy efficiency measures in industrial processes, buildings, and transportation can reduce the overall energy demand. By using energy more efficiently, the need for burning fossil fuels can be minimized, thereby lowering pollution levels.
  • Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): CCS technologies capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and industrial facilities and store them underground or use them for other purposes. While not directly increasing combustion efficiency, CCS can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.
• It is important to note that while increasing combustion efficiency can reduce pollution per unit of energy generated, it does not eliminate the fundamental environmental concerns associated with the combustion of fossil fuels.
• Transitioning to cleaner and renewable energy sources remains crucial for achieving significant reductions in pollution and combating climate change.

The correct answer is Water Vapour.

Key Points

•  Greenhouse gasses
  • A greenhouse gas, often known as a greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG), is a gas that creates the greenhouse effect by absorbing and radiating heat infrared light.
  • Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone are the planet's main greenhouse gases (O3).
  • Without greenhouse gases, the average surface temperature of the Earth would be closer to -18 °C (0 °F) than it is today, which is 15 °C (59 °F).
  • Greenhouse gases are found in the atmospheres of Venus, Mars, and Titan.

Additional Information

• Water Vapour 
  • Water vapour, or aqueous vapour are all terms for the gaseous state of water.
  • It is a particular kind of water condition inside the hydrosphere.
  • Water vapour can be created by the boiling or evaporation of liquid water as well as by the sublimation of ice. 
  • Water vapour is continuously produced by evaporation and eliminated by condensation in a normal atmosphere.
  • It causes convection currents that can result in clouds since it is less dense than the majority of the other air constituents.

Important Points

•  Carbon dioxide
  • The most significant contributor to the warming effect, accounting for 64% of the total.
  • Carbon dioxide is long-lived in the atmosphere, with 40% remaining after 100 years, 20% after 1,000 years, and 10% after 10,000 years.
• Methane
  • The second-largest contributor, accounting for 19% of the total.
  • Methane is more potent than carbon dioxide, with a global warming impact that's almost 30 times greater over 100 years.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
  • The third-largest contributor, accounting for 8.1% of the total.
  • CFCs were widely used in the mid-1900s, but they are still long-lived in the atmosphere.
• Nitrous oxide
  • A powerful greenhouse gas with a GWP that's around 270 times that of carbon dioxide.
  • It remains in the atmosphere for a little more than a century. 
• Other greenhouse gases include:
  • Fluorinated gases
  • Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
  • Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
  • Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
  • Nitroge n triflouride (NF3)

Key Points

• Biomagnification is the accumulation of the increasing amount ​ of non-degradable pollutants through the food chain i.e., the concentration of toxicants increases at successive trophic levels.
• It is caused because a toxic substance accumulated in an organism cannot be metabolized or excreted out.
• It can only be passed on to the next trophic level, in which the concentration of the toxicant increases.
• It is observed in aquatic food chains.
• An aquatic food chain can be represented as:

Phytoplankton → Zooplankton → Small Fish → Large Fish → Fish-eating birds

• Phytoplanktons are the producers in the food chain, which are eaten by the zooplanktons and successively by fishes and then fish-eating birds.
• Biomagnification is a well-known phenomenon for toxicants like mercury and DDT, which get released into water bodies.

Explanation:

• If we take the example of DDT, it starts with 0.003 ppb (parts per billion) in water.
• Its concentration is found to increase to 0.04 ppm (parts per million) in zooplanktons.
• It keeps increasing in successive trophic levels and we can find up to 25 ppm of DDT in the fish-eating birds.
• Such high concentrations of DDT disturbs the calcium metabolism in birds.
• It may cause thinning of eggshell and premature breaking of eggs, which eventually leads to decline in bird populations.

The correct answer is Ultraviolet radiation.

Concept:

Ozone layer:

• It is a layer of ozone molecules found in the stratosphere (the second layer of the atmosphere).
• Ozone is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, often referenced as O₃.

Explanation:

Formation of Ozone:

• Ozone is formed naturally by chemical reactions involving solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) and oxygen molecules.
• In the first step, solar ultraviolet radiation breaks apart one oxygen molecule (O₂) to produce two oxygen atoms (O)
• In the second step, each of these highly reactive atoms combines with an oxygen molecule to produce an ozone molecule (O₃).
• These reactions occur continually whenever solar ultraviolet radiation is present in the stratosphere.

The correct option is Air

Concept:

• Lichens are a symbiotic association of fungi and algae.
• Symbiosis is the close and long term relationship or interaction between two dissimilar organisms.
• The organisms interact with each other for food and shelter.

​Explanation:

• Lichens are sensitive to sulfur dioxide.
• So, presence of SO2 in the air leads to their growth inhibition.
• SO2 gets dissolved in water easily, and when it is taken up by the lichen, photosynthesis, reproduction etc. gets disrupted.
• Therefore lichens act as good pollution indicators as they cannot grow in polluted areas.

The correct answer is sulphur hexafluoride.Key Points

• Sulphur hexafluoride is a synthetic fluorinated gas with an extremely stable molecular structure, making it the most potent greenhouse gas ever found.
• It has a global warming potential of 23,500 times that of CO₂, meaning that it traps 23,500 times more heat in the atmosphere than CO₂.
• Sulphur hexafluoride is commonly used in electrical transmission and distribution equipment, as well as in the production of magnesium and aluminium.

Additional Information

• Hydrogen fluoride (option 1) is a highly corrosive gas used in the production of fluorine compounds, including sulphur hexafluoride.
• Sodium monofluorophosphate (option 2) is a salt commonly used in toothpaste to prevent tooth decay.
• Calcium fluoride (option 4) is a mineral found in teeth and bones and is also used in the production of aluminium.

The correct answer is Non-biodegradable pollutant.

Key Points

• Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane or DDT is a crystalline, colourless and odourless compound that is used as an insecticide.
• DDT is a colourless, crystalline, tasteless, and almost odourless organochlorine known for its insecticidal properties and environmental impacts.
• It is a non-biodegradable waste that can not be changed into harmless products. Hence Option 2 is correct.
• Therefore it has been banned from use in most countries.
• These wastes are the major pollutants of the environment.
• DDT and other agrochemicals release greenhouse gasses into the environment which tends to air pollution.
• And its structural formula is given as

• The Most hazardous metal pollutant of the automobile exhaust is Lead.
• Lead is a highly toxic metal whose widespread use has caused extensive environmental contamination and health problems.
• Lead is hazardous as it can get into the food chain and cause heart disease.

The correct answer is Oil spillage.

Key Points

• An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
• So, the correct answer to your question is Oil Spillage.
• The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.
• Oil spills penetrate into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing its insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water.

Additional Information 

• Oil losses problem often arises in oil and gas industries either in onshore or offshore area.
• Motor oil contamination is the result of dirt, fuel, metal particles and other contaminants accumulating in the oil. 

Concept:

Waste materials: 

• Waste materials are either liquid or solid in form, and their components may be either hazardous or inert in their effects on health and the environment.
• The term waste is typically applied to solid waste, sewage (wastewater), hazardous waste, and electronic waste.

Explanation:

Biodegradable waste: 

• Those substances that can be decomposed by the action of decomposers like bacteria and fungi are called biodegradable wastes.
• For example organic matter like human excreta, animal waste, dead bodies of plants and animals, leftover food items, etc.

​Non-biodegradable waste:

• Those substances that can not be decomposed by the action of decomposers like bacteria and fungi are called non-biodegradable wastes.
• For example plastic, PVC,  rubber, glass, artificial clothes like nylon, rayon, electronic waste like batteries, etc.