CHAPTER 16: POLLUTION – SOURCES AND EFFECTS

Book Solution
CONCEPT CHECK 1
Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
1. exhaust contributes to about 50 per cent of carbon monoxide.
2. activities generate SPM and flyash.
3. Oil spills is one of the major sources of pollution.
4. Hospitals generate waste.
5. radiations are high energy radiations.
Ans. 1. Automobile 2. Mining/Stone crushing 3. marine 4. biomedical 5. Ionising

CONCEPT CHECK 2
Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
1. wastes are recycled in the environment by the action of microorganisms.
2. Nonbiodegradable compounds enter the and get biologically magnified.
3. Biological oxygen demand in water increases when wastes are decayed.
Ans. 1. Biodegradable 2. food chain 3. biodegradable

CONCEPT CHECK 3
Match the columns:

Column A Column B
1. Mercury (a) SPM
2. Cement plant and mining (b) Low energy radiation
3. Oxides of sulphur (c) Bioaccumulation
4. X-rays (d) Methaemoglobinaemia
5. Mobile phone (e) Chromosomal aberrations
6. Nitrates (f) Asthma
Ans. 1.—(c), 2.—(a), 3.—(f), 4.—(e), 5.—(b), 6.—(d)

CONCEPT CHECK 4
State whether the following statements are true or false. If false, write the correct statement by
changing the incorrect word/words only.
1. Global warming causes El Nino effect.
2. Oxides of sulphur and phosphorus in air are responsible for acid rains.
3. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas.
4. Ozone layer forms a protective layer around the earth in thermosphere.

Chapter 16: Pollution – Sources and Effects 1

Ans. 1. True
2. False; Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in air are responsible for acid rains.
3. True
4. False; Ozone layer forms a protective layer around the earth in stratosphere.

CONCEPT CHECK 5
Fill in the blanks:
1. EPA stands for
Ans. Environmental Protection Agency
2. The fuel recommended as nonpolluting fuel is called CNG. CNG stands for
Ans. Compressed Natural Gas
3. Air quality standards were set by in 1971.
Ans. United States Environmental Protection Agency
4. NAAQS represents
Ans. National Ambient Air Quality Standards
5. Petrol and diesel should be replaced by and gas.
Ans. unleaded petrol; natural

CONCEPT CHECK 6
Answer the following:
1. What is the role of STP (sewage treatment plant)?
Ans. In sewage treatment plant, sewage is treated to remove organic and inorganic impurities from
it before disposing into waterbodies.
2. What is biogas? How is it generated?
Ans. Biogas is a mixture of methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. It is generated
by anaerobic decomposition of organic solid matter like animal waste.
3. Why has government imposed ban on the use of polythene bags, when these are so convenient
in use?
Ans. Polythene bags are made of nonbiodegradable material which keep accumulating and remain
unaffect in environment. On burning, these bags release toxic gases. They cannot be recycled
and need large amount of energy to produce.
4. Define the term social forestry.
Ans. Social forestry is the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren and
deforested lands for social and rural development by the involvement of people.
5. Give an example of social forestry where government and local people have worked jointly
for the regeneration of forest.
Ans. In 1972, the West Bengal Forest Department and the local villagers of South Western districts
of the state worked jointly for the regeneration of badly degraded Sal forests covering
1,272 hectares of land. By the sincere efforts and active participation from both sides, the degraded
forests got remarkable recovery and became thick and green by 1983 and were valued at
` 12.5 crores.

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CONCEPT CHECK 7
State whether the following statements are true or false. If false, write the correct statement by
changing the incorrect word/words only.
1. In organic farming, chemical fertilisers like NPK are used to increase crop production.
2. Crop rotation, intercropping and mixed cropping help in pest control.
3. Biopesticides can show bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Ans. 1. False; In organic farming, biofertilisers are used to increase crop production.
2. True
3. False; Chemical pesticides can show bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

CONCEPT CHECK 8
Complete the following sentences:
1. The slogan for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is .
2. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched by on .
3. The objective of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is improvement of general quality of life in rural
and urban areas by promoting .
4. Government planned to spend ` 2 lakh crores to construct across India till
October 2, 2019.
Ans. 1. Ek Kadam Swachhta Ki Ore (A step towards cleanliness)
2. Mr. Narendra Modi; 2nd October, 2014
3. hygiene and cleanliness
4. 12 crore toilets

REVIEW QUESTIONS

A. VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
(a) Exhaust from contribute to over 60 per cent of air pollution.
(b) The major soil pollutants are and wastes.
(c) Arsenic poisoning occurs through .
(d) Cellulose fibre is a waste from industry.
(e) is a potent greenhouse gas which is produced in the course of paddy cultivation.
(f) Most biomedical wastes are .
(g) Hydrocarbons at higher concentrations have effect.
(h) Sound level is expressed in units.
Ans. (a) automobiles (b) commercial; domestic
(c) drinking arsenic-polluted water (d) paper
(e) Methane (f) noninfectious
(g) carcinogenic (h) decibel (dB)

Chapter 16: Pollution – Sources and Effects 3

 2. State whether the following statements are true or false. If false, rewrite the correct form of
statements.
(a) Garbage is an example of biodegradable waste.
(b) A waste is a worthless material because it has no value to its owner.
(c) DDT is a biodegradable waste.
(d) A major portion of biomedical waste is noninfectious in nature.
(e) High carbon dioxide concentrations contribute to global warming.
(f) Pesticides cannot enter the food chain.
Ans. (a) True
(b) True
(c) False; DDT is a nonbiodegradable waste.
(d) True
(e) True
(f) False; Pesticides can enter the food chain.

3. Give one word for the following.

(a) Gases released from refrigerators and air conditioners
(b) Chemicals used to kill insect pests in agricultural practices
(c) Wastes that persist in the soil for a long duration
(d) Domestic waste and faecal matter is
(e) Carbon dioxide, methane, oxides of nitrogen are called
(f) The soil and rock area that remain frozen under ice in the arctic area
Ans. (a) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
(b) Insecticides
(c) Nonbiodegradable waste
(d) Biodegradable waste
(e) Greenhouse gases
(f) Permafrost
4. Define the following terms:
(a) Biomagnification
(b) Biomedical wastes
(c) Organic farming
(d) Greenhouse effect
(e) Social forestry
(f) Sludge
Ans. (a) Biomagnification refers to accumulation of a toxicant at successive trophic levels in a food
chain.
(b) Biomedical wastes are the wastes generated in hospitals and pathological laboratories. These
include used bandages, syringes, blades, saline bottles, discarded medicines, blood-stained
cotton wool, etc. These may be infectious or noninfectious.
(c) Organic farming is a method of raising crops with minimal or no use of chemicals as fertilisers
and pesticides. It mainly relies on the maximum use of biofertilisers, organic manures,
biopesticides and adopting different cropping systems.

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 (d) An atmospheric phenomenon in which sun’s heat remains trapped by the envelope of carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the earth’s atmosphere just as it gets trapped in a
greenhouse due to glass enclosure, is called greenhouse effect.
(e) Social forestry is the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren and
deforested lands for social and rural development by the involvement of people.
(f) Sludge is an organic matter which is obtained at the bottom of sedimentation tank during
treatment of waste water at waste water treatment plant (WWTP) or sewage treatment plant.

B. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Answer the following questions.
(a) What are the effects of oil spillage on marine life?
(b) Why is radioactive pollution most harmful?
(c) How does ozone layer protect us from harmful effects in the environment?
(d) What are nonbiodegradable pollutants?
(e) How is arsenicosis caused?
(f) Which one of the following are nonbiodegradable?
Animal bones, silver foil, paper cup, leather belts, plastic glasses
Ans. (a) Oil spillage inhibits plankton growth and photosynthetic activity of aquatic plants. It gets into the
gills of fishes and causes their death due to unavailability of food and oxygen. Also, it gets into the
feathers of aquatic (marine) birds making it impossible for them to fly and feed their chicks.
(b) Radioactive pollution contributes to skin cancer, lung cancer and thyroid cancer. It introduces
birth defects and cognitive disabilities due to mutations.
(c) Ozone layer forms a protective umbrella around the earth in stratosphere layer of atmosphere.
It absorbs ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun and protects life on the earth from harmful
short-wave UV radiation.
(d) Nonbiodegradable pollutants are waste materials that cannot be broken down or decomposed into
harmless substances by microbes.
(e) Arsenicosis is caused by the contamination of arsenic in drinking water and subsoil water
with arsenic compounds.
(f) Silver foil and plastic glasses are nonbiodegradable.
2. Give differences between the following.
(a) Biotic and abiotic air pollutants
(b) Outdoor and indoor sources of noise pollution
(c) Domestic and industrial wastes
(d) Biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes
Ans. (a) Biotic air pollutants are microorganisms, pollen from plants and spores from fungi, ferns, etc.
Abiotic air pollutants are gases, particulate matter, aerosols and industrial wastes. These are
generated by forest fire, burning of fossil fuels, dust storms, volcanic eruptions and gases produced
in paddy fields, cattle dung and decaying bodies of dead plants and animals.
(b) The outdoor sources of noise pollution are motor whicles, factories, construction sites and the
community activities using loudspeakers and fireworks.
Indoor sources of noise pollution are loudly played televisions, radios, music systems and
electronic gadgets like telephones, washing machines, mixers, coolers, fans, air conditioners,
generator sets, etc.

Chapter 16: Pollution – Sources and Effects 5

 (c) 
Domestic wastes are household and commercial wastes. These pass through municipal
sewage. These include food waste, human excreta and synthetic detergents.
Industrial wastes are toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, acids, etc. They
are released in rivers by textile, sugar and fertiliser factories, oil refineries and drug, rubber
and plastic companies.
(d) Biodegradable pollutants are easily decomposed by microorganisms or are recycled. These
include domestic sewage, e.g., garbage, sewage, etc.
Nonbiodegradable pollutants do not decompose by microbial action or they are degraded
very slowly. They cannot be recycled, e.g., DDT, plastic, glass, etc.

C. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. How do chlorofluorocarbons affect life on the earth?
Ans. Chlorine liberated by the degradation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) combines with ozone
in stratosphere and causes ozone depletion. Thining of ozone layer increases amount of
UV radiation reaching the earth. UV radiations are harmful to man, animals and vegetation
on the earth. Long exposure to UV radiation causes skin cancer, leukaemia, breast cancer and
damage to cornea.
2. What causes fluorosis? What are its symptoms?
Ans. Fluorosis is caused by excess of fluorine or fluorides in drinking water. It may cause mottling of
teeth, allergy, skeletal fluorosis, nonskeletal fluorosis and knock-knee disease characterised by
crippling deformities.
3. What are the major factors responsible for the spoilage of the landscape?
Ans. Landscapes are spoiled mainly by:
(a) Dumping or improper disposal of municipal waste. This causes percolation of toxic chemicals
in the groundwater killing the plants around.
(b) Dumping of chemical waste on soil reduces soil fertility.
(c) Accumulation of waste attracts flies, rats, etc. and provides breeding ground to flies and
mosquitoes.
(d) Stray animals litter all around making the area dirty.
4. Which gases cause acid rain and what are its various effects?
Ans. Sulphur dioxide (SO2), sulphur trioxide (SO3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in air cause acid rain.
Acid rain increases acidity of lakes, dams, rivers and streams, and causes death of aquatic plants
and animals. It makes soil acidic that affects plants and kills microorganisms. Acid rain dissolves
and washes away nutrients that minerals in soil of forests and retards the growth of forest trees. It
damages chlorophyll and affects photosynthesis. Acid rain causes extensive damage to buildings,
monuments and sculptures made of marble, limestone, mortar and metals. It also corrodes metals.
5. Explain the aim and importance of organic farming.
Ans. The aims of organic farming are as follows:
(a) Prevention of environmental pollution
(b) Providing toxin-free food
(c) Optimizing productivity of food
(d) Maintaining soil health
(e) Recycling of wastes
(f) Control of pests and weeds
(g) No bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals

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 (h) Maintaining biological diversity within the agroecosystem
(i) Maintaining balanced host-predator relationships
(j) Ensuring that water stays clean and safe
Importance of organic farming
(a) Organic farming increases long-term soil fertility because of the use of vermicompost or
farmyard manure.
(b) Controls pests and diseases without deteriorating the environment.
(c) Ensures clean, safe and nonpolluted water.
(d) Ensures use of resources which a farmer has, so that he saves money on buying farm inputs.
(e) Does not use chemical pesticides, so there is no bioaccumulation and biomagnification of
harmful chemicals in the food chain and the body of animals and humans. Hence, there are no
health hazards.
(f) Rotation of crops, mixed cropping and intercropping protect crops from weeds and pests, and
restore soil fertility for long.
6. Summarise the objectives of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Ans. The objectives of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are:
(a) To bring about an improvement in general quality of life and the environment by promoting
hygiene and cleanliness.
(b) To eliminate open defecation by constructing toilets for household and for communities.
(c) To eradicate manual scavenging.
(d) To introduce modern and scientific municipal solid and liquid waste management.
(e) Use of garbage bins for collecting litter and keep the roads and surroundings clean.
(f) Participation of private sector in sanitation sector.
(g) To create awareness in general public about the importance of cleanliness and change peoples’
attitude.
(h) To ensure availability of safe drinking water in rural areas.

D. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Choose the correct answer.
1. Burning of fossil fuels produces
(a) Smog (b) Particulates
(c) Acid deposition (d) All of the above
2. Destruction of ozone layer affects life on Earth because, it
(a) alters global temperature
(b) leads to DNA damage
(c) changes the spectrum of light reaching the earth
(d) reduces the amount of O2 in the atmosphere
3. The greenhouse effect is
(a) Filtering of light rays of specific wavelengths by Earth’s atmosphere
(b) Trapping of heat by gases in the atmosphere
(c) Reduction in the amount of CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere
(d) Increase in the global plant growth due to enhanced photosynthesis
Ans. 1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (b)

Chapter 16: Pollution – Sources and Effects 7