8.

Pollution
1. Following are some statements 1. It takes about an hour to go to the
about pollution. Which type of school. (Due to traffic jam, Nilesh is
pollution do those express: spending more time in polluted,
a. Fog seems to be appearing in Delhi contaminated air.)
during day hours. 2. He faces the heavy traffic. (Large scale
Answer: Air pollution-Smog combustion of fossil fuel.)
3. He is facing the problem of asthma. (Air
b. Many times, vomiting and dysentery pollution – Harmful to human health.)
occurs after eating ‘panpuri’. 4. The heaps of garbage at many places.
Answer: (Solid waste – Land pollution.)
Water pollution-Contaminated food and 5. Foul smell of human and animal wastes.
water due to bacteria or virus (Biological pollution, air pollution.)
6. Blackish water with foul smell was
c. Problem of sneezing occurs sometimes flowing in a stream. (Improper sewage
during visit to garden. management – Water pollution.)
Answer: Air pollution due to pollens 7. He developed some abdominal disease
within few days.
d. Crop does not grow up in some areas.
Answer: Soil pollution 3. Match the pairs from ‘A’ and ‘B’
columns and explain the effect of
e. People living in the busy squares face pollution on human health.
the problems like short breathing and other Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
respiratory problems. 1. Water containing a. Mental
Answer: Air pollution due to traffic cobalt retardation
2. Methane gas b. Paralysis
2. Read the passage and identify the 3. Water containing c. Inflammation of
sentences expressing types of lead lungs
pollution. 4. Sulphur dioxide d. Skin cancer
a. Nilesh is a student of Std. VII and lives in 5. Nitrogen dioxide e. Irritation of eyes
urban area. It takes about an hour to go to Answer:
the school by bus. He faces the heavy Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
traffic of two wheelers, four wheelers, 1. Water containing b. Paralysis
rickshaws, buses while going to school. He cobalt
is facing the problem of asthma since last 2. Methane gas d. Skin cancer
few days, Doctors recommended him to
3. Water containing a. Mental
stay away from urban area. Since then, his
lead retardation
mother sent him to the village of his
4. Sulphur dioxide e. Irritation of
maternal uncle, Nilesh saw the heaps of
eyes
garbage at many places in village. Foul
5. Nitrogen dioxide c. Inflammation
smell of human and animal wastes was
of lungs
present at many places. Blackish water
4. True or false.
with foul smell was flowing in a stream. He
a. Water does not get polluted by washing
developed some abdominal disease within
the clothes in running water of river.
few days.
Answer:
False. (Even if washing of soiled clothes is
Answer:
done in running water, it will cause
pollution as the dirt and the waste

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 8. Pollution
materials will be added to water. This composition and fall back on the ground in
certainly will cause water pollution.) the form of acid rain.

b. More the use of electric appliances, more 5. Effects of acid rain are as follows:
will be the pollution.  Increase in the acidity of soil and water
Answer: bodies.
True. (Most of the electricity is generated in  Damage to the trees.
India by burning coal. The power  Water becomes unsuitable for fish and
generation plants thus cause lots of air wildlife.
pollution. More the electricity is used by  Buildings, statues, sculptures, bridges,
using more appliances, there will be more monuments and fences are corroded
pollution. However, only power generation due to acid rain. Thus, acid rain
through solar energy cannot cause damages our national assets.
pollution.)  Acid rain affects agriculture and crop
lands.
5. Answer the following:
a. What is pollution? d. What is greenhouse effect?
Answer: Answer:
Contamination of natural environment that 1. Greenhouse effect is the ; phenomenon
can harmfully affect the environment is due to which global warming and
called pollution. climate change occur.
2. The earth receives solar energy in the
b. What are Pollutants? form of heat from the sun. The surface
Answer: of earth absorbs this heat and reflects it
The products which affect the normal back to the atmosphere as infrared
functioning of ecosystem and have an radiation. Some of this heat energy goes
adverse effect on plants, animals and directly into space.
humans are called pollutants.
e. Which are visible pollutants known
c. What is acid rain? to you?
Answer: Answer:
1. When rainwater contains harmful 1. The polluting substances that are seen
amounts of nitric and sulphuric acids, it is easily with the naked eyes can be called as
called acid rain. visible pollutants. E.g. Solid wastes, plastic
2. Burning of fossil fuels such as coal, articles, plastic bags, the suspended things
wood, petroleum, etc. releases nitrogen in the water, metal refuse, etc.
oxide and sulphur oxide into the
atmospheric air. f. Which are invisible pollutants?
3. Since these oxides are soluble in water, Answer:
they dissolve in rainwater. Nitrogen and The pollutants which are completely
sulphur oxides dissolved in large quantities dissolved in water or mixed in the air,
of water vapour form acids like nitric acid, cannot be seen and hence they can be
nitrous acid, sulphurous acid and sulphuric called invisible pollutants. Since they are
acid. not seen, we remain unaware about the
4. These acids mix with mist, drops of presence of these pollutants. E.g. the
rainwater and snow. They change their insecticides spread f on the crops. Aerosols,
many hazardous gases in the air, toxic

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 8. Pollution
compounds that are totally soluble in 4. Therefore, vehicles are said to be the
water, etc. major contributors to air pollution.
5. The only vehicle which is non¬polluting
6. Answer the following. is bicycle. The four-wheelers which are
a. Give two examples of each of water, soil battery operated are also manufactured
and air pollution from your residential area. recently.
Answer: These two types of vehicles are eco-
Air pollution: friendly. The cars that run on C.N.G. are
1. New buildings are constructed. Old also said to be lesser polluting.
structures are demolished. This is
creating lots of dust pollution. The air c. What are natural reasons causes for
is full of particulate matter. water pollution?
2. The number of vehicles on the road Answer:
has tremendously increased. This The natural causes of the water pollution:
causes smoky environment. 1. If organic pollutants are added to the
Water pollution: water there is an overgrowth of weeds such
1. The sea shows lots of floating plastic as Eichhornia. The growth of algae also
and decaying flowers, etc. When makes the water unsuitable for
beaches are visited it is a common consumption. These aquatic plants release
sight. oxygen during daytime but by night they
2. Many fishes are seen dying in great require oxygen thus depleting the dissolved
numbers and are washed off to the oxygen level. The natural characters of
shore. water are then changed.
Soil pollution : 2. The decomposing matter when added to
1. Everywhere garbage heaps are seen. the water make it polluted and stinking.
In that plastic bags, needles, old 3. Due to deposition of sludge or eroded
medicine vials and cartons are seen soil, the rivers change their path and divert
in abundance. from original flow. The currents are also
2. The sludge brought by rainwater is changed. Deposition of sludge makes the
spread everywhere and that causes water polluted.
stink. 4. Due to soil erosion, surrounding the
water bodies, the microbes, bacteria,
b. How does the pollution occur due to protozoans and the worms and larvae of
vehicles? Give the names of vehicles nematodes enter the water causing severe
causing least pollution. biological pollution. Many inorganic
Answer: pollutants are also added to the water. The
1. More than 50% of the air pollution is fungand bacteria present in the water
caused by vehicular traffic. make it non-potable. Such water spreads
2. Particulate matter, unburnt water-borne diseases.
hydrocarbons, CO, nitrogen oxides and
carcinogenic hydrocarbons are present d. Suggest four preventive measures
in the automobile exhausts. for air pollution.
3. Fossil fuels like petrol, diesel, natural Answer:
gas, gasoline, etc. which are burnt to The following methods are adopted to
run the automobiles lead to the control air pollution from the industries:
emission of CO2 and other gases. 1. The source discharge is diluted by tall
chimneys.

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 8. Pollution
2. There are source correction methods 6. The agricultural production is
like changing the raw material, decreasing. The regions with less rainfall
equipment modification, process are facing draughts.
modification, etc.
3. Effective pollution controlling equipment f. Construct two slogans each on air, water
like dust collectors, electrostatic and soil pollution.
precipitators, wet scrubbers, etc. should Answer:
be used. Air pollution:
4. There should be ban and control over 1. Be a part of the solution and not part of
atomic tests and chemical weapons on pollution.
the international level. 2. Show your care, clean your air.
Water pollution:
e. Explain relation between 1. Water, water everywhere, Not a drop to
greenhouse effect and global drink. The pollution is making all the
warming. water stink.
Answer: 2. Save the fish and the little turtle. Don’t
Because of greenhouse effect, there is throw plastic or it will encircle.
increase in the global temperature. The Soil Pollution:
heat on the earth remains trapped due to 1. Don’t be mean, keep environment clean.
envelope of greenhouse gases. The 2. Let’s keep land clean, together only we
percentage of carbon dioxide and methane can win.
is constantly increasing and hence there is 7. Classify the following pollutants
increase in the temperature too. Thus the into natural and manmade categories.
greenhouse effect is directly related to the Sewage, dust, pollen grains, chemical
global warming. fertilizers, vehicular smoke, algae,
Effects of this relation between greenhouse pesticides, waste of animals and birds.
effect and global warming are as follows: Answer:
1. The polar ice caps and the glaciers at Man-Made Natural
both the poles are melting due to 1. Sewage 1. Dust (Natural)
increased temperature. 2. Dust (Construction 2. Pollen grains
2. The oceans’ water is rising due to this related)
melted ice. The sea level rise is causing 3. Chemical 3. Algae
coastal land submergence. The islands fertilizers
at various regions are threatened of 4. Vehicular smoke 4. Waste (Excreta) of
drowning. animals and
3. Many species of living organisms are 5. Pesticides
already extinct due to global warming.
The rest are also threatened.
4. Wild animals are showing weird
migrations. Polar bear is endangered.
5. The increased temperature of the
oceanic water is causing many changes
in the tides and currents. This results
into increased occurrence of cyclones,
hurricanes and cloud bursting. The
natural disasters are rising in last
decade.

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