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 chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

The acid rain is caused when air polluted by large volume of :

  1. sulphur dioxide

  2. nitrogen dioxide

  3. carbon dioxide

  4. both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is more properly called acidic deposition, which occurs in both wet and dry forms. Wet deposition usually exists in the form of rain, snow, or sleet but also may occur as fog, dew, or cloud water condensed on plants or the earth's surface. Dry deposition includes solid particles (aerosols) that fall to the earth's surface. Condensation of fog, dew, or cloud water is referred to as occult deposition.
The most common acidic substances are compounds containing hydrogen, sulphates, and nitrates. The chief source of these compounds is the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and petroleum by-products, primarily gasoline.
Hence, acid rain is caused when air polluted by a large volume of sulphur dioxide.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which of these gases is an atmospheric pollutant?
1 carbon monoxide
2 nitrogen dioxide
3 sulfur dioxide.

  1. $1$ only
  2. $2$ only
  3. $3$ only
  4. $1, 2$ and $3$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Solution:- (D) $1, \; 2$ and $3$

These all gases are atmospheric pollutants as all lead to air pollution.
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Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide are important ambient air pollutants. High-intensity, confined space exposure to NO2 has caused catastrophic injury to humans, including death. Ambient NO2 exposure may increase the risk of respiratory tract infections through the pollutant's interaction with the immune system. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) contributes to respiratory symptoms in both healthy patients and those with underlying pulmonary disease. Controlled human exposure studies have demonstrated that experimental SO2 exposure causes changes in airway physiology, including increased airways resistance. Both acute and chronic exposure to carbon monoxide are associated with increased risk for adverse cardiopulmonary events, including death. However, studies have not demonstrated a clear dose-dependent health risk response to increasing amounts of these pollutants except at high concentrations. In addition, a number of studies examining the effects of ambient level exposure to NO2, SO2, and CO have failed to find associations with adverse health outcomes.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

The pollutant in air responsible for acid rain is carbon monoxide.

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulphur 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. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dissolve very easily in water and can be carried very far by the wind. As a result, the two compounds can travel long distances where they become part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog that we experience on certain days.
Hence, The pollutant in air responsible for acid rain is sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

What occurs when acidic oxides generated of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur due to burning of fossil fuels come in contact of rain?

  1. Acid rain

  2. Basic Rain

  3. Normal Rain

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

Acid rains are caused when the pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide formed due to the burning of the fossil fuels are released in the atmosphere, where they travel upwards and mixes with oxygen, air and moisture to form pollutants called acidic oxide pollutants.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which of the following gases will not cause acid rain?

  1. $SO _2$
  2. $NO _2$
  3. $CO _2$
  4. $O _3$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Sulphur present in any fuel combines with oxygen and forms $SO _2$ in the combustion chamber. $SO _2$ when emitted into the atmosphere, it oxidizes to form $SO _3$. It is soluble in water in the clouds and forms $H _2SO _4$ (Sulphuric acid).

$S+O _2 \rightarrow SO _2 +\dfrac {1}{2} O _2 \longrightarrow SO _3+H _2O\rightarrow H _2SO _4$

Most of the $NO _x$ emitted in the form in the forms of $NO$.
This $NO$ oxidised in the atmosphere to form $NO _2$.
$NO _2$ is soluble in water and form $HNO _3$ (Nitric Acid).

$NO+\dfrac {1}{2}O _2\rightarrow NO _2+H _2O\rightarrow HNO _3$ 
                       
Carbon divide reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid then dissociates to give the hydrogen ion $(H^+)$ and the hydrogen carbonate ion $(HCO _3^-)$. The ability of $H _2CO _3$ to deliver $H^+$ classifies this molecule as acid.

$CO _2 +H _2O\longrightarrow H _2CO _3$

$H _2CO _3 \longrightarrow H^++HCO _3^-$

For $O _3$,
$O _3+$Ultraviolet $\rightarrow O+O _2$

$O+O _3\rightarrow 2O _2$

Net Reaction: $2O _3+ UV\rightarrow 3O _2$

It does from any acidic component therefore $O _3$ will not cause acid rain.
Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid rains are produced by:

  1. excess ${NO} _{2}$ and ${SO} _{2}$ from burning fossil fuels
  2. excess production of ${NH} _{3}$ by industry and coal gas

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

Acid rain is primarily caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the combustion of fossil fuels, which then react with water in the atmosphere.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Which of the following are responsible for causing acid-rain?

  1. Oxides of sulphur and carbon dioxide.

  2. Oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide.

  3. Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide.

  4. Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain caused by emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with water molecules in the  atmosphere to produce corresponding acids.


Oxides of sulphur + water $\rightarrow$ Sulphuric acid

Oxides of Nitrogen + water $\rightarrow$ Nitric acid

Option D is correct.

Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with water vapors in the atmosphere and fall as rain. Which of the following is not caused by acid rain?

  1. Decreased quality of air

  2. Reduced growth of forests

  3. Reduced pH of water bodies

  4. Destruction of marble buildings
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Acid rain does not pollute air rather acid rain is caused de to the air pollution. The air pollutants consisting $SO _2$ and $NO _x$, they combine with the water vapour. 

$SO _2+O _2+H _2O\longrightarrow H _2SO _4$

$NO +H _2O\longrightarrow HNO _2$

$NO _2+H _2O\longrightarrow HNO _3$

Due to the formation of these acids, the rain is acidic. 
Multiple choice chemistry planet earth acid deposition air and air pollution natural resources- air, water and land

Acid precipitation is now regarded as a serious problem in some European and Asian countries. Its major cause or source is:

  1. the discharge of acidic effluents onto neutral or slightly alkaline land where the acidic components precipitate.

  2. emission of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from thermal power plants and burning of fossil fuels. These oxides dissolve in atmospheric water vapor and fall back on earth as acid rain.

  3. natural carbon dioxide released during respiration of living organisms dissolves in water, forming carbonic acid which is the chief contributor to acidity in rainwater.

  4. none of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions or low pH. it can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. It is a result of air pollution. When oxides of sulfur or nitrogen react with water sulfuric acid or nitric acid is formed.