Environmental Studies

Air Pollution

2,298 Questions

Air pollution questions address the sources of emissions, indoor air quality, and the formation of photochemical smog. You will explore the impact of particulate matter, acid rain, and urban pollutants. This is a highly relevant subject for environmental studies and general awareness tests.

Photochemical smogParticulate matter emissionsAcid rain causesIndoor air pollutionAmmonia emissions

Air Pollution Questions

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain is caused by

  1. $SO _2$ and $SO _3$
  2. $SO _2$ and CO
  3. $NH _3$ and CO
  4. $SO _2$ and $NH _3$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is caused by the chemical reaction. Basically, rain that has unusually low pH is called acid rain. The most common chemicals that cause acid rain are sulphur oxides and nitric oxides. These substances rise high in the atmosphere where they react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutant. Sulphur dioxide on reaction with water and oxygen forms sulphur trioxide which is rapidly converted into sulphuric acid in presence of water.

Hence, the correct answer is 'SO$ _{2}$ and SO$ _{3}$'.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rains are produced by

  1. Excess $ { NO } _{ x } $ and $ { SO }_{ 2 } from burning fossil fuels
  2. Excess production of $ { NH } _{ 3 } $ by industries and power plants

  3. Excess release of carbon monoxide by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
  4. Excess release of $ { CO } _{ 2 } $ by combustion and animal respiration.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is caused by large-scale emission of acidic gases into the atmosphere from thermal power plants, industries, and automobiles. The common ones are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides NOx, volatile organic carbons VOCs and hydrogen chloride. NOx is also produced in the atmosphere through lightning. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are changed in the atmosphere into sulphuric acid and nitric acid by combining with oxygen and water.

So, the correct answer is 'Excess NOx and $ { SO }_{ 2 } from burning fossil fuels'.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Which of the following causes regional pollution?

  1. Smog

  2. Acid rain
  3. $O _3$ layer depletion

  4. Both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Smog is formed of smoke and fog and is particularly a pressing problem for large metropolitan cities. The constituents of smog are ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The sources of these pollutants are emissions from vehicles, smokestack emission paints etc. 
Acid rain is formed when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water and oxygen forming more acidic pollutant. Areas having industrial abundance are prone to acid rains. The major sources are coal-fired power plants, burning of fossil fuels etc.
Hence, the correct answer is 'Both A and B'
Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants.

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids.
Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Burning of coal produces oxides of sulphur and nitrogen which combined with water vapor leads to

  1. acid rain

  2. brackish water

  3. forest fire

  4. soil pollution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted from burning coal react with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric and nitric acids, resulting in acid rain.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Pollutant which causes acid rain is

  1. $SO _2$
  2. $CO _2$

  3. CO

  4. Hydrocarbons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is caused by the chemical reaction. Basically, rain that has unusually low pH is called acid rain. The most common chemicals that cause acid rain are sulphur oxides and nitric oxides. These substances rise high in the atmosphere where they react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutant. Sulphur dioxide on reaction with water and oxygen forms sulphur trioxide which is rapidly converted into sulphuric acid in presence of water.

Hence, the correct answer is 'SO$ _{2}$'

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

The acid rain destroys vegetation because it contains 

  1. Nitrates
  2. H$ _2$SO$ _4$
  3. O$ _3$

  4. CO
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is a formed due to the mixing of oxides of several harmful gases with the rain. Acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides resulting from fossil fuel combustion. These gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. 

When this rain falls on the soil, the soil becomes acidic. Also, the leaves get destroyed and germinating seeds get corroded. Plants experience stunted growth. Thus, vegetation is destroyed.
So, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain is due to increase in atmospheric concentration of

  1. Ozone and dust
  2. CO$ _2$ and CO
  3. SO$ _3$ and CO
  4. SO$ _2$ and NO$ _2$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

NOx and $SO _2$ are emitted by fossil fuel combustion especially coal. These chemicals are converted into sulfuric acid and nitric acid in the atmosphere when they react with water vapour. When these acids are mixed with rain water they from acid rain. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain occurs above the area where

  1. There is excess release of $NH _3$ and coal gas
  2. Factories are expelling $SO _2$ into air
  3. There is excess production of $CO _2$ due to excessive combustion and respiration

  4. There is excess production of gaseous hydrocarbons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is a result of a chemical reaction occurring in a localized area where the concentration of the oxides of nitrogen and sulphur are high. An area where there are factories will have an accumulation of sulphur dioxide in the air. These oxides react with water and precipitate in the form of the acid rain. For example, around the Taj Mahal area, the presence of the Mathura Refinery has caused multiple events of acid rain.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Factories are expelling SO$ _{2}$ into air'.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Study the following statements regarding acid rain and select the incorrect ones.


(i) Acid rain refers to the rainfall and other forms of precipitation with a pH of less than 5.
(ii) Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen are released from automobile exhausts, industries, power plants, etc.
(iii) These oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, may react with water in the air and form sulphuric acid $ \left( { H } _{ 2 }{ SO } _{ 4 } \right)  $ and nitric acid $ \left( { HNO } _{ 3 } \right)  $
(iv) Acid rain has harmful effects on animals and human beings but no characteristic impact on plants.

  1. (i) and (iii)

  2. (iii) and (iv)

  3. (iv) only

  4. (ii) only
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain damages plants by direct effect on foliage and growing point-chlorosis, necrosis, defoliation, dieback. It causes leaching of essential minerals of soil.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain is caused by or recent reports of acid rain in some industrial cities are due to the effect of atmospheric pollution by

  1. Excessive release of $CO _2$ by burning of fuels like wood and charcoal, cutting of forests and increased animal population
  2. Excessive release of $NO _2$ and $SO _2$ in the atmosphere by burning of fossil fuel
  3. Excessive release of $NH _3$ by industrial plants and coal gas

  4. Excessive release of CO in the atmosphere by incomplete combustion of coke, charcoal and other carbonaceous fuel in the of oxygen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

When $SO _2$ pollution in the air is much higher. Sometimes, $SO _2$ mixes in the air with small particles of metals near the factories and gets oxidised into sulphur trioxide $SO _3$. These gases are harmful and they react with water to form sulphuric acid ($H _2$$SO _4$) or sulphurous acid ($H _2$$SO _3$) and come down to earth with rainwater; it is called acid rain or acid precipitation.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain is caused by.

  1. Excess production of coal gas
  2. Excess release of $CO _2$ due to increasing combustion and respiration
  3. Excess release of $SO _2$ and $NO _2$ from burning fossil fuels

  4. Excess production of gaseous hydrocarbons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Oxides of Sulphur and Nitrogen produced by the burning of fossil fuels react with water molecules in the atmosphere forming Sulphur based and Nitrogen based acids.

They precipitate and cause corrosion of buildings and plants.
So, the correct option is 'Excess release of  SO$ _2$ and NO$ _2$ from burning fossil fuels .'

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

Acid rain is due to.

  1. Water pollution

  2. Air pollution

  3. Automobile pollution

  4. Pesticide pollution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Air pollution resulting in high concentrations of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide leads to the production of acid by reaction with water vapour.

The formed acids of sulphur and nitrogen precipitate with rain forming acid rain.
So, the correct option is 'Acid Rain'.

Multiple choice economics environmental economics acid rain air pollution - effects and control air pollution and its effects

The oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, when mixed with water in the air, are the chief components of acid rain.

  1. True

  2. False

  3. Either

  4. Neither
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
When the pH of rain is below 5.2, it is called acid rain. It occurs when oxides of nitrogen and sulfur react with water in the atmosphere and form nitric acid and sulfuric acid respectively. These acids then come down along with rain and make it acidic. The reactions of formation of nitric acid and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere are as follows:
SO2 + O2 ---> SO3
SO3 + H2O ---> H2SO4
NO + [O] ---> N2O5
N2O5 + H20 ---> HNO3
Hence, the statement given in the question is correct.
So, the correct answer is 'True'.