Environmental Studies · General Awareness

Pollution and Human Impact

2,911 Questions

Pollution involves the introduction of contaminants into natural environments, causing severe human impact. This hub focuses on water pollution, thermal pollution, soil contamination, and diseases like Minamata. It is a highly relevant topic for environmental studies in UPSC exams.

Water pollution sourcesOcean pollutantsHeavy metal contaminationSoil erosion impactsThermal pollution causes

Pollution and Human Impact Questions

Multiple choice chemistry water too little to waste effects and conservation of water pollution water pollution, its effects and cures for a pollution free nature

Industrial or man-made concentrations of naturally occurring substances, such as_____ and _____ have also been identified as health hazards in soil and groundwater.

  1. Carbon and ammonia

  2. Ammonia and nitrates

  3. Oxides and ammonia

  4. Carbon and nitrates
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Industrial or man-made concentrations of naturally occurring substances, such as nitrate and ammonia associated with livestock manure from agricultural operations, have also been identified as health hazards in soil and groundwater.

Multiple choice chemistry water too little to waste effects and conservation of water pollution water pollution, its effects and cures for a pollution free nature

Industrial pollution effects ______.

  1. air pollution

  2. water pollution

  3. land pollution

  4. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Any form of pollution that can trace its immediate source to industrial practices is known as industrial pollution.
Industrial pollution takes on many faces. It contaminates many sources of drinking water, releases unwanted toxins into the air and reduces the quality of soil all over the world

Multiple choice chemistry water too little to waste effects and conservation of water pollution water pollution, its effects and cures for a pollution free nature

The contamination of the environment by businesses, particularly plants and factories, that dump waste products into the air and water is called __________.

  1. soil pollution

  2. industrial pollution

  3. radioactive pollution

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

Industrial pollution is the contamination of the environment by businesses, particularly plants and factories, that dump waste products into the air and water. Industrial waste is one of the largest contributors to the global pollution problem endangering people and the environment.

Multiple choice chemistry water too little to waste effects and conservation of water pollution water pollution, its effects and cures for a pollution free nature

Particulate pollutants are created by:

  1. industrial pollution

  2. water pollution

  3. global warming

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

Particulates pollutants are the minute solid particles or liquid droplets in air. These are present in vehicle emissions, smoke particles from fires, dust particles and ash from industries.

Multiple choice chemistry water too little to waste effects and conservation of water pollution water pollution, its effects and cures for a pollution free nature

Acid rain is the outcome of ________

  1. Land pollution

  2. Industrial pollution

  3. water pollution

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

Acid rain refers to a mixture of deposited material, both wet and dry, coming from the atmosphere containing more than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. Simply put, it means rain that is acidic in nature due to the presence of certain pollutants in the air due to cars and industrial processes. 

Multiple choice commercial applications receding water table water and ocean conservation water resources and conservation water conservation and irrigation

_______ is one of the major source of contamination of ground water.

  1. Rain

  2. Ponds

  3. Industrial effluent

  4. Chemical fertilizers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Chemical fertilizers are the major source of contamination of ground water. Chemical fertilizers that is soluble in water gets dissolved in rain water or irrigated water and seeps inside the ground contaminating the groundwater.

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

Pollution indicator is

  1. <p>Agrobacterium</p>

  2. Lichen

  3. <p>Pteridium</p>

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

Lichens represent the symbiotic association between the algae and the fungi. These absorb their mineral nutrition from the moisture-laden air rather than the soil. So, the contamination of the air severely impairs their growth and they disappear from the areas that have a heavy concentration of sulphur pollutants in the air. Due to this sensitivity, these are considered to be the bioindicators of air pollution.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Lichen'

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

$SO _2$ pollution is indicated by destruction of.

  1. Climbers

  2. Lichens

  3. Mosses

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

Lichens are sensitive to the levels of SO$ _2$ in the atmosphere.

The sulphurous and sulphuric acid compounds affect the lichen growth.
The lichens are sensitive to low pH and hence die off the trees, boulders and cliffs indicating SO$ _2$ pollution.
So, the correct option is 'Lichens'.

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

Which is indicator of industrial pollution?

  1. <p> Biston belularia</p>

  2. Chamaeleon

  3. Lichen

  4. Bengal Tiger
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A,C Correct answer
Explanation

An indicator species is the one that either shows sensitivity or sustenance in the pollution. The lichens are the indicator species of air pollution because they cannot survive in the air polluted with the oxides of sulphur, released by industrial emissions. This is so because lichens absorb mineral nutrients from the moisture in the air and any contaminant in the air makes it difficult for them to perform the vital activities of life. Biston betularia is a peppered moth. Their population was dominated by white coloured varieties before the industrialization in England because the predators fed on black moths easily visible on the white coloured bark of the trees. Due to the industrialization, the pollution through emission released soot that was deposited on the white bark of the trees, due to which the white population shifted to black population as the white moths were now eaten by the predators.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Lichen and Biston betularia'

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

MPN indicates

  1. Water pollution

  2. Atmospheric pollution

  3. Faecal pollution

  4. Industrial pollution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Most Probable Number (MPN) is a method used to estimate the concentration of viable microorganisms in a sample by means of replicate liquid broth growth in ten-fold dilutions. MPN is most commonly applied for quality testing of water i.e to ensure whether the water is safe or not in terms of bacteria present in it.
So the correct answer is 'Water pollution'.
Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

Lichens are sensitive to

  1. Noise pollution

  2. Air pollution

  3. Water pollution

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

Lichens are the symbiotic associations between the algae and fungi. These absorb the mineral nutrients from the moisture-laden air instead of the soil. So, any contamination in the air is going to severely affect their growth. The oxides of sulphur have more adverse on the growth of lichens, These disappear from the area when sulphides are in excess in the air. So, these act as bioindicators to the air pollution caused by the sulphur oxides.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Air Pollution'.

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

Pollution indicator plants are/can ___________.

  1. Resistant to pollution

  2. Purify the atmosphere

  3. Very sensitive to pollutants

  4. Indicate onset of rains
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The plants that are used as the indicators to the pollutants are very sensitive to the pollutants such that they either develop disease symptoms or cease to grow when these specific pollutants are present in the air, water or soil. For example, Salvia and Pinus are sensitive to ozone and sulphur dioxide pollution and they show red spots and curling of the leaves. Petunia and Chrysanthemum are sensitive to the peroxy-acetyl nitrate and they show the destruction of the chlorophyll. Lichens fail to grow in the sulphur dioxide pollution.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Are very sensitive to pollutants'.

Multiple choice indicators of pollution biodiversity: conservation human influences on the environment option c: ecology and conservation biology

Which of the following are most suitable indicators of SO$ _2$ pollution in the environment?

  1. Lichens

  2. Conifers

  3. Algae

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

Lichens are the most suitable bio-indicators for air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide pollution since they derive their water and essential nutrients mainly from the atmosphere rather than from the soil.  If the air is clean, shrubby, hairy and leafy lichens become abundant. A few lichen species can tolerate quite high levels of pollution and are commonly found on pavements, walls and tree bark in urban areas. The most sensitive lichens are shrubby and leafy while the most tolerant lichens are all crusty in appearance.

So the correct answer is 'Lichens'.

Multiple choice geography land use urban land use and urban problems and solutions urban settlements land use patterns

Crops and plants grown on _________ absorb much of the pollution and then pass these on to us.

  1. polluted Soil

  2. polluted Water

  3. polluted Earth

  4. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Crops and plants grown on polluted soil absorb much of the pollution and then pass these on to us. This could explain the sudden surge in small and terminal illnesses.

Long term exposure to such soil can affect the genetic make-up of the body, causing congenital illnesses and chronic health problems that cannot be cured easily. In fact, it can sicken the livestock to a considerable extent and cause food poisoning over a long period of time. The soil pollution can even lead to widespread famines if the plants are unable to grow in it.