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 zoology pollution - a rising environmental problem sources of water pollution marine life water pollution

Thermal pollution of water bodies is due to

  1. Discharge of heat (hot water) from power plants

  2. Discharge of chemicals from industries

  3. Discharge of waste from mining

  4. Discharge of agricultural run off
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Thermal pollution refers to effluents and hot water from thermal plants or atomic reactors which bring about the rise in water temperature. Warm water contains less oxygen, resulting in increased organic loading, and replacement of green algae by blue-green algae.

So, the correct answer is option A.

Multiple choice zoology pollution - a rising environmental problem sources of water pollution marine life water pollution

Most abundant water pollutant is

  1. Detergents

  2. Pesticides

  3. Industrial wastes

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

Industrial effluents are the major water pollutants because of their ingredients. Heavy metal waste like mercury, cadmium, dirt and gravel, masonry and concrete, scrap metal, trash, oil, solvents and chemicals etc. are present in the industrial effluents. Their treatment is a long and expensive procedure as compared to domestic sewage treatment. The industrial waste is corrosive, reactive and igniting. It poses dangerous effects on the aquatic life primarily and human health thereafter. These have shown the biomagnification capability as well.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Industrial wastes'.

Multiple choice zoology pollution - a rising environmental problem sources of water pollution marine life water pollution

Water pollution is due to

  1. Agricultural discharge

  2. Sewage and other wastes

  3. Industrial effluents

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

Agricultural discharge such as large quantity of agrochemicals, organic matter, sediments and saline drainage, fertilizer extract directly released in water bodies contaminate water and cause waterlogging. Sewage and untreated waste containing the high amount of organic compound and industrial effluent including organic, non-organic and reactive waste released in water have the potential to acidify water bodies, the solid waste accumulation can result in drying up of waters.

Hence, the correct answer is 'All of the above'

Multiple choice zoology pollution - a rising environmental problem sources of water pollution marine life water pollution

Most important causative pollutant is

  1. Plastic

  2. Glass junk

  3. Iron junk

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

Detergents that are released from the domestic sewage, as well as the industrial effluents, are the causative pollutants because these result in the increasing the inorganic mineral quantity in the water body. Because of this, the eutrophication occurs. The dissolved oxygen in the water body is decreased and the aquatic life suffers from the hypoxia. Plastic, glass junk and iron junk persist in nature as they are non-biodegradable. Their downhill causes are less as compared to the detergents.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Detergents'

Multiple choice zoology pollution - a rising environmental problem sources of water pollution marine life water pollution

Thermal pollution, is more prevalent near

  1. Hot water springs

  2. Coal based power plants

  3. Temperate zone

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

Thermal pollution refers to the water pollution caused by the discharge of the hot industrial effluent in the water body that destroys the ambient temperature of the water body. The thermal pollution is a major water pollution near the coal power plants that use water as the coolant so that it absorbs the thermal energy from the thermal plants and then the hot water is released in the nearby water body. The rise in temperature of the water causes severe adverse effects to the aquatic life.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Coal based power plants'

Multiple choice transpiration major activities of living organisms biology

Prolonged liberal irrigation of agricultural fields is likely to create the problem of

  1. Acidity

  2. Aridity

  3. Metal toxicity

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

Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt content is known as salinization. Salination can be caused by natural processes, such as mineral weathering or the gradual withdrawal of an ocean. It can also be caused by artificial processes such as irrigation. The ions responsible for salination are: Na$^{+}$, K$^{+}$, Ca$^{2+}$, Mg$^{2+}$ and Cl$^{-}$. When excess irrigation is done, the negatively charged ions are leached or washed away and only positively charged ions remain in the soil as they are held up by clay particles in the soil. This creates salinity problem.

Multiple choice zoology garbage in, garbage out plastic waste recycling of paper thermocol

Plastic can cause flood because

  1. It blocks the drainage system.

  2. It blocks the pores of soil.

  3. It pollutes water body

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

Plastic waste does not biodegrade and often accumulates in drainage systems, causing blockages that lead to urban flooding during heavy rains.

Multiple choice commercial studies forests: our lifeline afforestation deforestation and its effect deforestation

The level of pollution increases due to whch of the following activity?

  1. Deforestation

  2. Aforestation

  3. Nitrogen cycle

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

Trees act as natural air filters, absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide. Deforestation reduces this capacity, leading to an increase in the concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere.

Multiple choice rivers - means of livelihood evs

The ________ who visit the rivers also add to the water pollution by throwing plastic bottles and covers into the river.

  1. Birds

  2. Animals

  3. People

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

The people who visit the rivers also add to the water pollution by throwing plastic bottles and covers into the river. With increasing population the use of plastic product also increasing day by day. Plastic is a threat to the environment. The plastic we through in rivers takes thousands and thousands of years to get decomposed. This toxic plastic hampers the aquatic life river at the same time it pollutes drinking water. 

Multiple choice chemistry environmental chemistry biochemistry and the environment green chemistry strategies to control environmental pollution and green chemistry

To manufacture computer chips, many chemicals, large amounts of water, and energy are required which is harmful to environment. a process is discovered which significantly reduces the quantities of chemicals, energy, and water needed to produce chips. This is an application of:

  1. Green chemistry

  2. waste management

  3. revolution resource recovery

  4. Green revolution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Green chemistry seeks to develop products and processes that are kind to the environment. This can involve reducing the waste a process creates, using renewable materials, lessening the energy required to form a product, etc.
Multiple choice biology natural resources and agriculture patterns of cropping rotation of crops common irrigation systems

Prolonged liberal irrigation of agricultural fields is likely to create the problem of -

  1. Aridity

  2. Metal toxicity

  3. salinity

  4. Acidity
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Irrigation without proper drainage of water leads to water clogging in the soil. Due to clogging, the vegetation and crops die due to insufficient supply of oxygen to them this condition is called as Salinity.
So, the correct answer is 'Salinity'.
So the correct option is C.
Multiple choice physics sound and noise musical sound and scale pleasant, unpleasant sounds and noise pollution sound noise and pollution

Presence of excessive unwanted sounds in the environment is called 

  1. air pollution

  2. noise pollution

  3. water pollution

  4. all of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Pollution is that , which harms our environment or health of animals on earth , excessive unwanted sounds are harmful to ear , therefore it is called noise pollution .