Environmental Studies · General Awareness

Waste Management and Pollution

2,184 Questions

Waste management and pollution control address waste-to-energy technologies, hazardous disposal, and organic recycling methods. The questions cover landfilling, bioremediation, and marine debris indicators. This topic holds significant weight in UPSC, State PSC, and SSC general studies and environmental exams.

Waste-to-energy technologiesHazardous waste disposalBiogas storage methodsOrganic waste compostingPlastic pollution

Waste Management and Pollution Questions

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Composting is done by using 

  1. Food waste

  2. Kitchen waste

  3. Waste from kitchen

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

In composting organic material, food wastes, kitchen waste, waste from kitchen etc are segregated from the household waste. These are then allowed to decompose and produce compost. 

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Dried leaves and husk should be

  1. Burnt

  2. Recycled

  3. Converted into useful compost

  4. Thrown away
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Dried leaves and husk cannot be burnt because burning of this kind of waste produced smoke which pollute the environment and harmful to living beings. So it can be converted into humus or compost by the anaerobic process. Thus, the correct option is C.
Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Mark the incorrect statement related to solid wastes.

  1. It refers to a variety of discarded materials, including liquid or gas.

  2. With the migration of people to urban settings, the volume of solid waste in concentrated areas greatly increased.

  3. Paper is considered as one of the major solid waste.

  4. All of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
 Solid waste refers to garbage or trash or discarded material. With increase in population in the urban cities, the volume at which trash gets generated has increased by many folds. While paper in itself is bio degradable; the processing of paper and recycling of paper waste produces sludge that adds on to solid waste however it does not include liquid or gaseous waste.
So, the correct answer is 'It refers to a variety of discarded materials, including liquid or gas'
Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Industrial waste management includes wastes at which of the following stages?

  1. Raw materials

  2. Processing

  3. Final products

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

The term usually relates to all kinds of waste, whether generated during the extraction of raw materials, the processing of raw materials into intermediate and final products, the consumption of final products, or other human activities, including municipal (residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural, and special (health care, household hazardous wastes, sewage sludge). Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on health, the environment or aesthetics. 

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Which of the following steps are used to treat industrial wastes and reduce pollution?
(i) The recycling and the reusing of the wastes.
(ii) The discharging of the wastes into the sea.
(iii) The treating and neutralising harmful chemicals in the wastes.

  1. Only (i) and (iii)

  2. Only (i) and (ii)

  3. Only (ii) and (iii)

  4. (i), (ii) and (iii)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Water pollution is a major threat to the environment. The release of industrial pollutants contributes to water pollution. The recycling and the reusing of the wastes and by treating and neutralising harmful chemicals in the wastes can reduce the pollution.

So, the correct answer is option A.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Industrial waste must be __________.

  1. Reused

  2. Recycled

  3. Coloured

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

Waste generated from industries is called as industrial waste. Most of the industrial waste is recycled. This helps in proper management of waste.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

The most convenient reusable wastes are

  1. Old newspapers

  2. Broken glass

  3. Flyash

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

The most convenient reusable wastes are old newspapers because you can get them anywhere and they are not a hazard to the environment. So, the correct answer is "Old newspapers".

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Flyash is the gaseous waste of cement industry

  1. True

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

Cement manufacturing mainly solid waste include clinker production and spoil rocks, which are removed from the raw materials during the raw meal preparation. Kiln dust and fly ash from power plant also included in solid waste. Another waste is generated from plant maintenance like used oil and metal scrap. So, the correct answer is "True".

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

What measures should be taken by users to reduce solid waste?

  1. Reuse plastic bag

  2. Reuse boxes

  3. Reuse containers

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

Reducing solid waste involves the '3Rs' (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Reusing plastic bags, boxes, and containers are all effective ways to minimize the amount of waste generated.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Burning of solid waste is known as:

  1. Landfillings

  2. Incineration

  3. Pyrolysis

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

Incineration is the process of burning solid waste at high temperatures. This method reduces the volume of waste significantly.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Uncontrolled, dumping is cheapest method of

  1. Solid waste

  2. Chemical Waste

  3. Nuclear Waste

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

Uncontrolled dumping is indeed the cheapest method of solid waste disposal as it requires minimal infrastructure or processing. Chemical waste and nuclear waste require specialized, expensive handling. Food waste is too narrow a category. The sentence structure is grammatically poor.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Which is second fundamental function of solid waste management?

  1. Collection

  2. Processing

  3. Disposal

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

In the hierarchy of solid waste management, the first step is typically generation or collection, followed by processing (such as sorting or treatment) before final disposal.

Multiple choice solid waste management environmental management biology

Recycling is an integral part of

  1. Solid waste management

  2. Collection

  3. Disposal

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

Recycling is a key component of sustainable solid waste management, as it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserves resources.