Environmental Issues

Question 1

Define Pollution

Answer 1

Undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological changes in air, water and soil

Question 2

Act to reduce environmental pollution

Answer 2

Environment Pollution Act (1986)

Question 3

Methods to remove

1) particulate matter
2) gases like SO2

Answer 3

1) Electrostatic Precipitator ( discharge corona )

2) Scrubber ( spray of water or lime )

Question 4

Expand CPCB and which particulate size is harmful for humans

Answer 4

CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board

particulate size of 2.5 Micro meters or less is harmful

Question 5

What are catalytic converters made of

which type of fuel should be used in them

Answer 5

Made of expensive metals like Pt - Pd and Rh as catalysts

Lead free fuel must be used as lead inactivates the catalysts

Question 6

Reaction in catalytic converters

Answer 6

Unburnt hydrocarbons –> CO2 and water

CO —> CO2 NO —> N2

Question 7

When did Air ( Prevention and control of Pollution ) Act
come into force
When and why was it amended

Answer 7

1981
Amended in 1987 to include noise as air pollutant
above 90 Db is noise pollution

Question 8

Effects of Noise pollution ( 150 , 120 , 90 )

Answer 8

150 Db - deafness or permanent damage
120 Db - pain and gradual hearing loss
90 Db - hazardous in long term
insomnia and change in breathing pattern

Question 9

What was Delhi’s placement in 1990s in most polluted cities

Answer 9

Delhi placed 4th of 41 most polluted cities

Question 10

By which year did Delhi shift buses to CNG

Answer 10

2002 on order of supreme court after PIL

Question 11

Pros and Cons of CNG transport

Answer 11

Pros - Burns efficiently, cheap , No adulteration

Cons - Transport and Distribution

Question 12

Measures taken by Delhi to curb Air pollution

Answer 12

CNG in public transport , Phasing out of old vehicles,

Unleaded petrol, Low sulphur petrol, Catalytic converters

Question 13

Sulphur and Aromatic content acc to Euro 3 norms

Answer 13

Sulphur : 350 ppm in diesel
150 ppm in petrol
Aromatic content : 42%

Question 14

Final Goal by roadmap in India’s Auto fuel policy

Answer 14

Sulphur : 50 ppm

Aromatic content : 35%

Question 15

When was the Bharat Stage 4 implemented

Answer 15

April 2017

Question 16

During which period was there a substantial fall in CO2 and SO2 levels in delhi

Answer 16

1997 - 2005

Question 17

When did Water ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) act come into force

Answer 17

1974

Question 18

Expand DDT and BHC

Answer 18

DDT - Dichloro Diphenyly trichloro ethane

BHC - Beta Hexa chloride

Question 19

What is primary constituent of domestic sewage

Answer 19

Biodegradable organic matter and salts like phosphates nitrates and other nutrients

Question 20

Why is there a BOD when sewage is discharged

Answer 20

microbes involved in biodegradation consume a lot of oxygen which causes a BOD and kills the fish

Question 21

Explain algal bloom and its effects

Answer 21

Increase in planktonic algae due to increase in nutrients from Sewage
they give a colour to water bodies are toxic and deteriorate water quality

Question 22

what is terror of bengal

Answer 22

eichhornia crassipes ( water hyacinth ) introduced for its flowers cause havoc due to excessive growth in eutrophic bodies and blockage of pathways

Question 23

What is present in industrial sewage

Answer 23

Heavy metals ( density > 5 g/cc) like Hg Cu Pb and organic compounds

Question 24

Effects of Biomagnification of DDT in birds

Answer 24

disturbance of calcium metabolism causing thinning of egg shells

Question 25

Eutrophication

Answer 25

Natural aging of lakes by addition of nutrients and increasing fertility

Question 26

How does eutrophication occur | entire process

Answer 26

As nutrients increase, Animal life increases , organic matter is deposited on bottom of the lake, lake becomes shallower and warmer, warm water organisms upstage the earlier cold water ones, marsh plants fill the basin, floating plants ( bog ) convert it to land

Question 27

What are prime contaminants that cause Eutrophication

Answer 27

Nitrates and Phosphates which are plant nutrients

Question 28

Accelerated Eutrophication

Answer 28

Artificial eutrophication overstimulate algae increasing BOD killing fish whose decomposition cause more BOD causing lake to choke to death

Question 29

Effects of Thermal Waste water

Answer 29

Kills organisms sensitive to high temperature | Kills native organisms in cold areas but enhances growth of different flora and fauna due to normal temperatures

Question 30

what does addition of chemical fertilisers do to an aquatic ecosystem

Answer 30

Eutrophication

Question 31

what are 2 stages of integrated waste water treatment process

Answer 31

1) conventional sedimentation, filtering and chlorine treatment. heavy metals still remain 2) water flows through marshlands which absorb assimilate and neutralise these pollutants

Question 32

How large are the marshlands in integrated waste water treatment process

Answer 32

6 connected marshes of over 60 hectares of land | rich in biodiversity

Question 33

Expand FOAM

Answer 33

Friends of Arcata marsh, they protect the marshes as they are rich in biodiversity

Question 34

Explain Ecological Sanitation

Answer 34

Handling human waste using dry composting toilets | where it is recycled into natural fertiliser

Question 35

Where and Why is EcoSan toilets used

Answer 35

Kerala and Sri Lanka | they are practical, hygienic, cost effective, water efficient

Question 36

What are solid wastes

Answer 36

anything that goes out in the trash

Question 37

what is municipal solid waste composed of

Answer 37

Paper, food wastes, plastics, glass, metals, rubber, textile from homes, stores, hospitals, schools

Question 38

Pros and cons of Burning dumps

Answer 38

Pros - reduces volume of trash Cons - Air pollution, dumps become breeding grounds when not burnt properly

Question 39

Pros and Cons of Sanitary landfills

Answer 39

Pros - waste is dumped in a trench then covered with dirt | Cons - Soil and underground water pollution, cant keep up with garbage generation

Question 40

what are 3 kinds of solid wastes and who separates them

Answer 40

Biodegradable, non - biodegradable, Recyclable | Rag pickers or kabadiwallahs

Question 41

What is best way to dispose of hospital waste

Answer 41

Incinerators

Question 42

What do we get from E wastes

Answer 42

Metals like Cu Fe Si Ni and Au are recycled

Question 43

Cons of E waste

Answer 43

Recycling is the only solution for E waste | but in developing countries manual labour is used and they are exposed to toxic substances in E waste

Question 44

Who invented polyblend

Answer 44

Ahmed khan

Question 45

how is polyblend useful

Answer 45

It increases water repellent properties of Bitumen (used to lay roads ) and increases road life by 3

Question 46

What did Ramesh Chandra Dagar do

Answer 46

started Haryana Kisan Welfare club

Question 47

What are the 2 reasons nuclear energy is bad

Answer 47

1) Accidental leakages Ex: Chernobyl, 3 mile island | 2) Lack of safe disposal of radioactive wastes

Question 48

Which method of disposal of radioactive waste is recommended

Answer 48

After Pre treatment Radioactive waste must be buried within shielded containers buried within the rocks at 500 m deep

Question 49

What is Greenhouse Effect?

Answer 49

Naturally occurring phenomenon that is responsible for heating of Earth's atmosphere and surface

Question 50

What would be the Earths temperature if Greenhouse effect was absent

Answer 50

chilly - 18 degrees C instead of 15 degrees C

Question 51

Fate of incoming solar radiation

Answer 51

1/4 th of the Incoming solar radiation is reflected by clouds and some is absorbed, half of incoming solar radiation reaches the surface

Question 52

In which form does Earths surface re emit solar radiation and what happens to it

Answer 52

In form of infra red radiation majority of it is absorbed by the green house gases

Question 53

Relative contribution of greenhouse gases

Answer 53

60% Carbon dioxide 20% Methane 14% CFCs 6% N2O