This set covers the main types of pollution, the indicators used to measure them and the key waste management rules in India. UPSC Prelims often asks about AQI pollutants, water quality indicators and diseases linked to specific pollutants.
How to practise: read each question and tap the option you think is correct. You will see right away whether you got it, along with a short explanation, and your score is tracked at the bottom of the screen. This set has 15 questions.
Topics covered in this set
- National Air Quality Index and particulate matter
- Primary and secondary pollutants, smog and acid rain
- BOD, COD and eutrophication
- Heavy metal pollution and related diseases
- E-waste and Extended Producer Responsibility
- Plastic and solid waste management rules
UPSC Environment MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. Which of the following is not one of the pollutants used to calculate India's National Air Quality Index?
a) Ammonia
b) Lead
c) Carbon dioxide
d) Ozone
Q2. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of:
a) 2.5 micrometres or less
b) 2.5 millimetres or less
c) Exactly 25 micrometres
d) 2.5 nanometres or less
Q3. Which of the following is a secondary air pollutant?
a) Sulphur dioxide
b) Carbon monoxide
c) Lead
d) Ground-level ozone
Q4. Photochemical smog differs from classical (London-type) smog because photochemical smog:
a) Forms mainly in cold, humid conditions from coal smoke
b) Forms in warm, sunny conditions from reactions of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons
c) Contains no ozone
d) Is caused mainly by sulphur dioxide from coal burning
Q5. Rain is generally considered acidic when its pH falls below about:
a) 7.0
b) 8.5
c) 5.6
d) 3.0
Q6. A high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in a water body indicates that:
a) The water has a high level of organic pollution
b) The water is very clean
c) The water has high dissolved oxygen
d) The water is free of microorganisms
Q7. Why is the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of a water sample usually higher than its BOD?
a) COD is measured at a lower temperature
b) COD includes oxygen needed to oxidise both biodegradable and non-biodegradable matter
c) COD measures only dissolved oxygen
d) COD ignores organic matter
Q8. Which is the correct sequence of events in eutrophication of a lake?
a) Nutrient enrichment, algal bloom, decomposition of algae, fall in dissolved oxygen
b) Fall in dissolved oxygen, nutrient enrichment, algal bloom, fish growth
c) Algal bloom, nutrient removal, rise in dissolved oxygen, fish death
d) Decomposition, nutrient enrichment, rise in dissolved oxygen, algal bloom
Q9. Which of the following pairs of disease and pollutant is correctly matched?
a) Minamata disease : Cadmium
b) Itai-itai disease : Mercury
c) Blue baby syndrome : Lead
d) Minamata disease : Mercury
Q10. Excess fluoride in drinking water is mainly associated with which health condition?
a) Goitre
b) Fluorosis
c) Night blindness
d) Rickets
Q11. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under India's waste rules means that:
a) Consumers must pay for waste collection
b) Municipal bodies alone manage all waste
c) Producers are responsible for the environmentally sound management of their products at the end of life
d) Only importers are responsible for waste
Q12. Under the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 31 December 2022 was set at:
a) 50 microns
b) 75 microns
c) 100 microns
d) 120 microns
Q13. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 require waste generators to segregate waste at source into:
a) Biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste
b) Only wet and dry waste
c) Industrial and household waste
d) Recyclable and non-recyclable plastic only
Q14. The use of microorganisms or plants to remove or neutralise pollutants from soil and water is called:
a) Biomagnification
b) Bioremediation
c) Bioaccumulation
d) Biofortification
Q15. Fly ash, a major solid waste in India, is produced mainly by:
a) Coal-based thermal power plants
b) Hydroelectric power plants
c) Solar power plants
d) Wind farms
Quick revision notes
- India's National AQI uses eight pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3 and lead.
- Ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant formed from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in sunlight.
- High BOD means high organic pollution, and COD is usually higher than BOD for the same sample.
- Eutrophication is caused by excess nitrates and phosphates and leads to algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
- Minamata disease is linked to mercury, itai-itai to cadmium and blue baby syndrome to nitrates.
- The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 require source segregation into wet, dry and domestic hazardous waste.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BOD and dissolved oxygen?
Dissolved oxygen is the amount of oxygen present in water at a given time. BOD is the amount of oxygen microbes will consume to break down the organic matter in that water, so high BOD tends to lower dissolved oxygen.
Why is PM2.5 considered more harmful than PM10?
PM2.5 particles are smaller, so they travel deeper into the lungs and can enter the bloodstream. They are linked to heart and lung diseases.
What is single-use plastic?
Single-use plastic refers to plastic items meant to be used once before being thrown away or recycled, such as some cutlery, straws and wrapping films. India banned a list of identified single-use plastic items from 1 July 2022.
Comments
Post a Comment