Environmental Studies · General Awareness

Pollution and Human Impact

2,864 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 perfect competition and monopoly market structure and pricing economics

Dumping has major disadvantages, however, especially in heavily polluted areas.

  1. True

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

Dumping waste in landfills or open areas has significant environmental disadvantages, including groundwater contamination, air pollution from decomposition, and habitat destruction, especially in densely populated or polluted regions.

Multiple choice business organisation and correspondence environmental pollution and industries pollution and industrial pollution pollution and its type pollutions

Which of the following practices adversely effect the environment?

  1. Aeration

  2. Ploughing

  3. Weeding

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Weeding is the process of removing unwanted plants in a crop. Once weedicides are applied, they contain harmful elements like DDT and many more which can leach into the soil and cause soil pollution and cause death of beneficial micro fauna present in the soil. These weedicides can also reach to the aquatic bodies by runoff water, causing algal blooms and thereby leading to the death of aquatic fauna.

Multiple choice business organisation and correspondence environmental pollution and industries pollution and industrial pollution pollution and its type pollutions

The undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, land and water is referred as

  1. Pollutants

  2. Ecodestructions

  3. Pollution

  4. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Pollution is defined as the introduction of harmful materials or undesirable changes into the environment, affecting air, water, or land.

Multiple choice business organisation and correspondence environmental pollution and industries pollution and industrial pollution pollution and its type pollutions

All of the following contribute to pollution except 

  1. Thermal power plant

  2. Automobiles

  3. Nuclear power plant

  4. Hydroelectric power plant
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Hydropower is mainly used in the generation of electricity. It is a renewable source of energy. It is a clean, domestic, and renewable source of energy. It provides inexpensive electricity and produces no pollution. Unlike fossil fuels, hydropower does not destroy water during the production of electricity. 

Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice geography environmental changes atmosphere as a green house global warming and climate change energy from the sun

Which one of the following is not a cause of environmental pollution?

  1. Population

  2. Industrialization

  3. Afforestation

  4. Vehicles
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The process of converting a non-forest land into a forest is known as Afforestation. Afforestation is highly important to maintain the biodiversity. Afforestation is necessary to combat the issues of global warming, soil erosion, pollution, and the maintenance of biodiversity and ecological balances. Afforestation is not a cause of environmental pollution.

Population, Industrialization and vehicles are the major causes of environmental pollution.

Multiple choice geography environmental changes atmosphere as a green house global warming and climate change energy from the sun

Land pollution is contaminating the land surface of the earth through _____.

  1. Dumping of urban waste matter

  2. Breakage of underground storage tanks

  3. Oil and fuel dumping, percolation of contaminated water

  4. Direct discharge of industrial waste to the soil

  5. All the above mentioned options
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Land pollution is caused by a variety of human activities, including improper waste disposal, industrial leaks, and chemical dumping, all of which contaminate the soil.

Multiple choice zoology introduction to microbiology microbial pollution control environmental use of microorganism microbes in waste treatment and biogas

Air pollution is caused by transport exhaust fumes and emission of gases like $SO 2$, $CO _, NO _2$ from industries. Similarly, water pollution is caused by ____________.

  1. Sewage

  2. Crop cultivation

  3. Rain

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

Water pollution is primarily caused by the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage, which introduces organic waste and pathogens into water bodies.

Multiple choice social studies precautions for natural disasters floods, droughts and landslides and cyclones major hazards in india and prevention tsunami and floods

Which of the following is an environmental consequence of floods?

  1. Dispersal of weed species

  2. Erosion of soil

  3. Release of pollutants into waterways

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

Floods can have negative environmental consequences, such as soil erosion, release of pollutants and excess sediments into waterways and the ocean, dispersal of weed species, and negative impacts on fish and other aquatic life. Floods can also have positive environmental consequences, such as recharging groundwater systems, filling wetlands, moving useful nutrients around the landscape, and triggering breeding events (for example, of water birds).

Multiple choice evs - i for a pollution free nature ways to prevent air pollution ways to reduce air pollution reducing air pollution

Environmental pollution can be controlled by:

  1. spraying insecticides and pesticides

  2. the open burning of tree stumps

  3. treating factory wastes before disposing them

  4. disposing hot water from power stations into the sea
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Environmental pollution can be controlled by treating factory wastes before disposing of them. So, if we treat wastewater before disposing of in a river, it will surely decrease the amount of dumped pollutants. 

For example- Steel industries have a high concentration of cyanide in it, and it led to harmful effect. So, treatment is really necessary.

Multiple choice economics environment pollution strategies to control environmental pollution strategies to control pollution strategies to control environmental pollution and green chemistry

$pH$ of the rain is increased in heavy industrial area due to:

  1. acid rain

  2. land pollution

  3. water pollution

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

Acid rain is the emission of oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in the atmosphere. This includes burning of fossil fuels containing sulphur and nitrogenous matter (such as coal and oil in furnaces and power stations, petrol and diesel in automobiles). 
Due to increase in acid gases in rain, the pH will change due to acid rain.

Multiple choice economics environment pollution strategies to control environmental pollution strategies to control pollution strategies to control environmental pollution and green chemistry

Which of the following is a non-biodegradable pollutant?

  1. DDT

  2. Sewage

  3. Plant leaves

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

DDT, plastics, polythene, bags, insecticides, pesticides, mercury, lead, arsenic, metal articles like aluminum cans, synthetic fibres, glass objects, iron products and silver foils are non-biodegradable pollutants.

Multiple choice economics environment pollution strategies to control environmental pollution strategies to control pollution strategies to control environmental pollution and green chemistry

_______ or using plants (such as willow) to extract heavy metals can prevent soil pollution.

  1. Phytoremediation

  2. Biofertilizer

  3. Bioremediation

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

Phytoremediation, or using plants (such as willow) to extract heavy metals can be an effective method to prevent soil pollution.

Multiple choice economics environment pollution strategies to control environmental pollution strategies to control pollution strategies to control environmental pollution and green chemistry

Minamata disease is because of pollution of:

  1. organic waste going into drinking water

  2. oil spill in water

  3. industrial waste containing mercury into fishing water

  4. arsenic going into the atmosphere
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Minamata disease was first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in 1956. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. This highly toxic chemical bio accumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which, when eaten by the local populace, resulted in mercury poisoning.