REVISE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH 400 MCQs

CHAPTER-5: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

42. Answer (C)

Explanations
● Statement 1 is incorrect: The Vienna convention was adopted in 1985 is a precursor to the Montreal protocol.
It is a framework for efforts to protect the globe's ozone layer . It did not require countries to take concrete
actions to control ozone depleting substances. The convention sought to enhance global cooperation by
exchanging knowledge regarding human activities affecting the Ozone layer. It was signed by all the
participating member states and ratified by all nations on September 16, 2009, including India.
● Statement 2 is correct: India setup ozone national unit for effective and timely implementation of Montreal
protocol. The National Ozone Unit (NOU) established in 1988 is the national office responsible for coordinating,
monitoring and implementing all Montreal Protocol activities including ODS phase out in Lebanon.
● Statement 3 is incorrect: India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of (HCFC)-141b in 2020.
(HCFC)- 141b is a chemical used by foam manufacturing industries and one of the most potent ozone depleting
chemicals after chlorofluorocarbons. It is mainly used as a blowing agent in the production of rigid polyurethane
foams.

43. Answer (C)

Explanation-
Fly ash is a fine grey powder Produced Whenever Combustion of solid material takes place
● Option 1, 2 and 4 are correct: Fly ash particles are oxide rich and consist of aluminium silicate, silicon dioxide,
calcium oxide , oxides of iron calcium and magnesium etc.
● Option 3 and 5 are incorrect: Nitrogen and organic carbon are absent in Fly ash. Moreover, phosphorus is also
present in unavailable form.
Additional information:
Effects of Fly ash:-
1) If fly ash is not captured and disposed of properly, It can pollute air and water considerably.
2) Fly ash accumulating in the crop field can lower the productivity of soil.
3) People Inhaling fly ash often face respiratory problems.
Advantages-:
1) Semen can be replaced by fly ash up to thirty five, thus reducing the cost of construction
2) Fly Ash is better fill material for road embankments and in concrete roads.
3) Fly ash increases water holding capacity of soil

44. Answer (B)

Explanation:
● Pair 1 is correct: Sulphur dioxide- it is a toxic gas with a pungent, irritating smell Produced by burning of
sulphur containing fuels such as coal and oil. Major sources of sulphur dioxide are volcanic activity (natural),
burning of coal in thermal power plants. It has a very harmful impact like formation of smog , acidification of
rain , respiratory symptoms and premature death.
● Pair 2 is incorrect- Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. However
mercury released as a by-product of industries is carcinogenic and causes harmful diseases like minamata.
○ Minamata is a disease Characterised by peripheral sensory loss, tremors and hearing loss. Minamata
convention on mercury is a UN treaty to protect human health and environment from adverse effects of
mercury and it's compounds.

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● Pair 3 is correct- Hydrocarbon is a chemical molecule that is entirely made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms.
Burning of fossil fuels releases Hydrocarbons like methane which have carcinogenic effects like respiratory
problems , suffocation and ocean acidification.
● Pair 4 is incorrect - Lumbering is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the
production of primary forest products and wood products. Lumbering is not the source for Asbestos. Asbestos
is a dust witnessed in areas around the mining industry or sheet manufacturing industry. High exposure to
asbestos may lead to cancer.

45. Answer (A)

Explanation:
The environment ministry launched the National clean air programme in 2019 covering 132 non-attainment cities
which were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB). Non-attainment cities are those that have
fallen from NAAQS for over five years.
NAAQS are the standards for ambient air quality with reference to various identified pollutants notified by CPCB
under the Air (Pollution and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Difference between NAAQS and AQI:
Statement 1 is correct: The NAAQS was more technical in nature and was not easy for the common man to
comprehend. It was with the idea of making air quality levels more understandable to the general public that the
AQI was formulated.
Statement 2 is correct: Another difference between both standards is that while the NAAQS considers 12
pollutants, the AQI covers 8 major [Link] includes all the NAAQS pollutants except benzene, benzopyrene,
arsenic and nickel.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Carbon dioxide is not considered an air pollutant in both AQI and NAAQS.

46. Answer (B)

Explanation-
 An oil spill is a form of marine pollution that occurs when any type of oil spills into an open body of water.
The oil floats on the water surface as a discrete mass. As it contains many toxic compounds, an oil spill can
harm the biotic and abiotic components of the environment where it takes place.
 Bregoli is a byproduct of paper industry resembling saw dust, oil zapper, microorganisms used to clean oil spills
Other methods to clean up oil spills:
Oil-absorbent pads:
 Oil-absorbent pads float on the water and absorb oil like a sponge.
 Most oil-absorbent pads are made of polypropylene.
 polypropylene is hydrophobic as well as oleophilic. In other words, polypropylene attracts oil and repels
water.
Sawdust:
 It is the preferred choice to clean up small spills.
 We can use sawdust for oil spills on land as well as water.
 Sawdust is one of the agents during bunkering on vessels as it is a quick and effective method to contain a
spill.
Hay:
 It works like sawdust
 It works on water as well as land.
Oil Spill Dispersant
 Chemical dispersants contain a mixture of emulsifiers and solvents to break the spilled oil into fine droplets.
Skimmer:
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 Skimmers are mechanical devices that separate oil from the surface of the water.
 Skimmers are submerged just under the surface of the water. When the water enters the skimmer, it carries
the oil on its surface into the device where the two are separated.
Oil boom:
 Oil booms are floating devices that contain the spill of oil by maintaining a physical boundary.
 They are deployed along the borders of a spill area.
 A thicker surface of the oil is collected inside the boom.
 This prevents the oil from reaching the shoreline or spreading over a large area.

47. Answer (C)

Explanation:
Statement-I is correct: Ionising radiations affect only those components which absorb them and have low
penetrability. They damage eyes which may be caused by reflections from coastal sand, snow directly looking
towards the sun during eclipse.
Statement-II is incorrect- They include short wave radiations such as ultraviolet rays, which form a part of solar
radiation. They injure the cells of skin and blood capillaries producing and rendering called sunburnt.

48. Answer (D)

Explanation-:
● Statement 1 is correct: BOD refers to the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms during
the biological degradation of organic matter present in water over a specified period, typically five days at 20
degrees Celsius. It serves as an indicator of the organic pollution level and the potential impact on aquatic
ecosystems.
● Statement 2 is correct: COD represents the amount of oxygen required for the chemical oxidation of organic
and inorganic matter in water. Unlike BOD, COD measures both biologically and chemically oxidizable
substances. It provides a broader assessment of water quality by including substances that may not be
biodegradable.

49. Answer (A)

Explanation:
Pair 1 is correct- Industrial area - 75 to 70 db
Pair 2 is incorrect- Residential area - 55 to 45
Pair 3 is incorrect- Educational institutions (Silence zone) - 50 to 40
Additional information:
● The government of India in march 2011 launched a real time ambient noise monitoring network. Under this
network in phase 15 remote noise monitoring Terminals each have been installed in different noises in seven
metros.
○ In phase two another thirty five monitoring stations will be installed in seven same studies. Phase three
will cover installing ninety 90 stations in 18 other cities.
● Silence zone is an area comprising not less than a hundred metres around hospitals, Educational institutions,
Courts , Religious places or any other declared by a competent authority.

50. Answer (C)

Explanation -
● Option c is correct: The Rotterdam Convention is an international treaty designed to facilitate informed
decision-making by countries with regard to trade in hazardous chemicals.
● Option a, b and d are incorrect:
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○ Basel convention: It is related to reducing the transboundary movements of hazardous chemicals and
their disposal between nations.
○ Stockholm convention: It is a global treaty that aims to protect human health and the environment from
the effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
○ Vienna convention: The Vienna Convention is the first international agreement dedicated to the
protection of the ozone layer. The Convention commits all countries to take measures to protect human
health and the environment resulting from modifications to the ozone layer. Vienna convention, along
with Montreal protocol were the only treaties to get universal ratification.

51. Answer (D)

Explanation:
In-situ bioremediation includes bioventing, Bio sparging and Bioaugmentation. Hence option d is the correct answer.
In-situ bioremediation techniques :-
1) Bioventing supply of air and nutrients throw wells to contaminated soil to stimulate the growth of indigenous
bacteria. Statement 1 is correct.
2) Biosparging Injection of air under pressure below the water table to increase ground water Oxygen concentration
and enhance the rate of biological degradation of contaminants by naturally occurring [Link] 2 is
correct.
3) Bioaugmentation Micro organisms are imported to a contaminated site to enhance the degradation
[Link] 5 is correct.
Ex-situ bioremediation techniques:-
1) Land-farming : Turning contaminated soil for aeration And shifting to remove contaminants or deliberately
depleting soil of nitrogen to remove Nitrogen based organisms
2) Bio reactor- The use of specially designed Continues to hold waste while bioremediation [Link] 3 is
incorrect.
3) Windrows: Rely on the periodic turning of piled polluted soil to enhance bioremediation
4) Biopiling is a hybrid of composting and land [Link] 4 is correct.

52. Answer (B)

Explanation:
● Statement 1 is incorrect: Gothenburg protocol, 1999 aims to abate acidification, eutrophication, and ground
level ozone
○ Also known as multi-effect protocol, was adopted by countries of UNECE ( United nations economic
commission for Europe)
● Statement 2 is correct: The protocol sets national emission ceilings for 2010 up to 2020 for four pollutants:
Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds(VOCs)and [Link] is part of the
convention on long range transboundary air pollution.

53. Answer (B)

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Nitrogen is found in abundance in the atmosphere however this nitrogen is not a pollutant
as it is non reactive but when this nitrogen is released from other sources into the environment it reacts with
compounds like oxygen to form oxides which are polluting in nature.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Though agriculture is a major source of nitrogen pollution, there are many other sources
like vehicles, industries etc. Nitrous oxide is 300 times more potent than Carbon dioxide however isn't as prevalent
as Carbon dioxide.

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Statement 3 is incorrect. The international nitrogen initiative is a joint initiative of UNEP and global environment
facilities sponsored by SCOPE and the international geosphere-biosphere programme.

54. Answer (B)

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct : Smog is smoke plus fog. Smog is a harmful mixture of fog, dust and Air pollutants such
as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
There are two types of smog-
1) Sulphurous smog occurs in cool humid climates . It has a high concentration of sulphur dioxide in air which
makes it a reducing mixture and so it is called reducing smog . It is also called winter smog or classic smog.
Statement 2 is incorrect and Statement 3 is correct.
2) Photochemical smog is Produced when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in
the atmosphere which results in the formation of harmful ozone. It is often referred to as summer smog or Los
Angeles smog . Statement 4 is correct

55. Answer (B)

Explanation-
● Statement I is incorrect: The PH scale is used to measure the acidic or basic character of a mixture. PH below
7 indicates acidic character of mixture and above 7 it's basic . Normally rain has a pH of about 5.6 which is
slightly acidic however it is not harmful . However when the ph drops below 5.6 it result in acidification of rain
● Statement II is correct: The main reason behind acid rain is oxides of sulphur and nitrogen reacting with water
, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids.

56. Answer (C)

Explanation-
● Byssinosis: Byssinosis is an occupational disease caused by exposure to cotton dust in inadequately ventilated
working environments. It commonly occurs in workers who are employed in fabric and yarn manufacturer
industries.
● Coal dust: Long term exposure to coal dust leads to Black lung disease which is a common name for
pneumoconiosis.
● Silica dust: Long term exposure to silica dust leads to silicosis. It is a progressive lung disease caused by
inhalation of silica.
● Asbestos: Long term exposure to asbestos leads to asbestosis which is a chronic inflammatory lung disease.

57. Answer (B)

Statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct : The Central pollution control board of India comes under
the ministry of Environment forest and climate change. It is a statutory Organisation established under the Water
(prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974. It is also interested in the powers and functions under the air
(prevention and control of pollution) act 1981.
Additional information:
Functions of CPCB are:-
● To prevent control and abate water and air Pollution in the country
● To provide technical services to the ministry under the provisions of environment protection act
● Collect compile and publish technical data related to water and air pollution

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58. Answer (C)
Explanation-
Statement 1 is correct:
Graded response action plan is a set of stratified action plans to be enforced in the national capital region which is
considered to be one of the most polluted regions across the world. It was formulated by environmental pollution
(prevention and control) authority on the order of the Supreme Court.
Statement 2 is incorrect-Objective of GRAP is to Specify, formulate and implement the policy action plans needed
to Control the air pollution in the national capital region whenever the air quality moves from poor to very poor.
From 2021 onwards, It is being implemented by the Commission on air quality and management (CAQM).
Statement 3 is incorrect- Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) works only as an emergency measure, not
throughout the year. These measures were first implemented in Delhi only, however recently it has been extended
to the National Capital Region.

59. Answer (D)

Explanation:
The Prime minister of India Has made a series of new promises to strengthen Climate action from India. These
promises were made at UNFCCC cop 26 held at Glasgow in 2021.
● Emission intensity:India is now committed to improve the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 .
Earlier it was thirty 33 to 35 percent of gdp.
● Electricity generation:India is also promising to ensure that 50% electricity generation comes from non fossil
fuels sources by 2030. Earlier it was a 40% target.
● Other NDCs:
○ Increase non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW (gigawatts) by 2030.
○ Reduce the total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes (BT) by 2030.
○ Achieve net zero carbon by 2070.

60. Answer (C)

Explanation-
● Torrefaction- It is a thermal process to convert Biomass into A coal- like material, Which is a better fuel
Characteristics then the original biomass. Option d is incorrect.
● Phytoremediation Uses microorganisms to damage the environment in a less toxic form . The microorganisms
may be native to the polluted area or may be invasive. Option a is incorrect.
● Gravitational settling is used to control air pollution. It is used to remove large diameter suspended particles
from a gas by using gravitational force. Option c is correct
● Electrostatic precipitator is based on the principle of electrostatic precipitation, in which electricity charged
particles in the gas are isolated from the gas stream under the influence of electric field. Option d is incorrect.

61. Answer (B)

Explanation:
Green crackers are Produced by using less harmful raw materials and have certain chemicals or compounds which
reduce emissions by suppressing the dust or soot released after burning these crackers.
● These are developed by CSIR-NEERI . They are also referred to as “ Safe Water Releaser( SWAS)”, “ Safe
minimal Aluminium (SAFAL)” and “ Safe Thermite Cracker(STAR)”.
● These are regulated by PESO (Petroleum and explosive safety organisation) which comes under the Department
for promotion of industry and internal trade, Ministry of commerce and Industry.

62. Answer C
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Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Bharat stage are emission standards instituted by the government of India and the
environment ministry is responsible for implementing these standards related to fuel in the country. The Central and
pollution control board implements these standards. These BS regulations are based on European emission
standards.

Statements 2 and 4 are correct. As BS-6 fuel has certain advantages over BS-4 like it will reduce sulphur
emissions by 5 times as compared to BS-4 levels and due to its clean combustion technology a BS-6 car will
emit 80%less particulate matter and nearly 70% less nitrogen oxide.
Statement 3 is incorrect. As BS-6 grade fuels will employ innovative technologies to reduce vehicular
emissions so the cost of production of BS-6 grade fuels will be higher.

63. Answer A
Explanation:
● Statement 1 is correct. At the 28th meeting of the parties (2016) to the Montreal protocol, negotiators from
197 nations have signed an agreement to amend the Montreal protocol. It is a legally binding agreement between
the signatory parties with non compliance measures.
● Statement 2 is incorrect. The parties are expected to reduce the manufacture and use of hydrofluorocarbons
by roughly 80 to 85% till 2045 (Not phase out).
○ Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are used as alternatives to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in air
conditioning, refrigeration etc, however they are powerful greenhouse gases.

64. Answer A
Explanation:
● Statement 1 is correct: E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was enacted in 2017, with over 21 products
(schedule-1) included under the purview of the rules. It included Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other
mercury lamps, as well as other such equipment.
● Statement 2 is incorrect: In India, the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 introduced the
concept of EPR for the first time, while the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 brought more stringent targets
for collection of end-of-life products and simplified the process of applying for EPR authorization.
● Statement 3 is incorrect: Though the role of state governments has also been introduced to ensure safety, health
and skill development of the workers involved in dismantling and recycling operations, the responsibility of
collecting and channelizing the orphan products to authorised recyclers is vested in Urban local bodies.

65. Answer (A)

Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Namami Gange Programme is a flagship programme of the central government launched
in 2014 to accomplish twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of
National river Ganga. It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG),
and its state counterpart organisations.

66. Answer A
Explanation:

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Statement 1 is correct: National Green Tribunal is a specialised body under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
for effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to the environment. With this act, India became the third
country in the world to set up a specialised body related to the environment after Australia and New Zealand.
Statement 2 is incorrect: In October 2021, the Supreme Court declared the National Green Tribunal's position as
a unique forum endowed with Suo motu powers to take up environmental issues across the country. As per the court,
NGT is not simply adjudication in nature, It is endowed with original and appellate jurisdiction.
Statement 3 is correct: The Tribunal is not by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure 1908,
but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

67. Answer A
Explanation:
● The Waste Minimisation Circle(WMC) is a government-supported initiative that helps small and Medium-size
Enterprises (SME) in reducing waste in their manufacturing facilities. It is assisted by the World Bank with the
Ministry of Environment and Forest as nodal ministry. It is being carried out with the help of the National
Productivity council.
● National Productivity Council:-
● It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry. It was established in 1958 as a registered society to promote productivity culture in
India.

68. Answer (B)

● Statements 1 and 2 are correct: The Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index of any industrial sector is
a number from 0 to 100 and the increasing value of CEPI denotes the increasing degree of pollution load from
the industrial sector.
● Statement 2 is correct: CPCB developed the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) to find
out an Index value to characterise quality of the environment.
● Statement 3 is incorrect: industrial sectors are categorised into following types-
1. Red category with PI score of 60 and above.
2. orange category with PI of 41 to 59
3. Green category having PI score of 21 to 40
4. white category having PI score of upto 20
● No red category of industries shall normally be permitted in the ecologically fragile area. There shall be no
necessity of obtaining consent to operate for white category of industries.

69. Answer (A)

Explanation:
Biomagnification refers to the tendency of pollutants to concentrate as they move from one trophic level to another.
But there are certain Characteristics which a pollutant must have for biomagnification to occur. These are:-
1. Long lived: if a pollutant is short lived, It will break down at the initial trophic level and it will not move to
another trophic level, hence it must be long lived. Statement 1 is correct
2. Soluble in fats: pollutants that are dissolved in fats are retained for a longer time. Hence statement 2 is correct.
3. Biologically active: in order for a pollutant to be more toxic it must be biologically active . Hence statement 3
is incorrect
4. Mobile: Mobility offers pollutant necessary movements to transfer from one trophic level to another. Hence
statement 4 is correct

70. Answer (B)

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Explanation:
● Option a is incorrect - Incineration is the method that involves the burning of solid waste at high temperatures
until the wastes are turned into ashes.
● Option b is correct - Pyrolysis: decomposition of solid waste by heating the waste in absence of oxygen. It
occurs at high pressure and at temperatures of 430 degree Celsius.
● Option c is incorrect- Combustion or burning is a high temperature exothermic reaction between a fuel and an
oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidised gaseous products.
● Option d is incorrect- Gravitational settling is used to remove large diameter suspended particles from a gas
by using gravitational force.

71. Answer C
● Option a, b and c are responsible for ocean acidification.
● Other major cause of ocean acidification are:-
1. Poor land management
2. Growing rate of industrialization
3. Poor land management
4. Increase in the concentration of Carbon dioxide in atmosphere
Additional information - Impact of ocean acidification:-
1. Shell formation- when seawater becomes acidic, calcium carbonate becomes less available, making it difficult
for these organisms to form and maintain their shells.
2. Ocean acidification has harmful effects on the food chain like plankton.
3. Studies have shown that increased acidity can affect the ability of fish to detect predators or locate food.

******
CHAPTER - 6 : RENEWABLE ENERGY
72. Answer (C)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: solar thermal electricity Uses a solar collector that has a mirrored surface which reflects the
sunlight onto a receiver that heats up a liquid. This heated up liquid is used to make steam which is further used to
rotate turbines to generate electricity. Commonly used fluids are synthetic oil, molten salt and pressurised steam.
Statement 2 is correct : The power generated is Direct current (DC) which is converted to alternating current with
the help of inverters. Direct current is one-directional flow of electric charge. Direct current may flow through a
conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators or even through a vacuum as in
electron or ion beams.

73. Answer-B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct - The framework agreement of the international solar alliance was opened for signature on
November 15, 2016, at the conference of parties (COP22) to UNFCCC in Marrakesh, Morocco. However it was by
Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi at COP21 (2015), the UN climate meeting at PARIS. ISA is an action-
oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies.
Its headquarters is in Gurugram, India.
Statements 2 and 4 are incorrect and statement 3 is correct: More than 120 countries are members of the
International solar alliance. Out of these countries, 86 have signed and ratified the ISA framework Agreement. All

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