Environmental Studies Past Paper PDF

## Environmental Studies ### Multiple Choice Questions 1. .......... pollutants are emitted directly from identifiable sources. - (a) Observable - (b) Tertiary - **(c) Primary** - (d) Secondary 2. Which one of the following is **NOT** a primary pollutant? - (a) nitrogen oxide...

## Environmental Studies ### Multiple Choice Questions 1. .......... pollutants are emitted directly from identifiable sources. - (a) Observable - (b) Tertiary - **(c) Primary** - (d) Secondary 2. Which one of the following is **NOT** a primary pollutant? - (a) nitrogen oxides - (c) sulfur dioxide - (e) carbon monoxide - **(b) sulfuric acid** - (d) particulate matter 3. The source of nearly half our pollution (by weight) is from the........ category. - (a) transportation - (c) stationary source fuel combustion - (e) none of the above - **(b) agricultural** - (d) industrial processes 4. A pH of 4 is......... times more acidic than a pH of 5. - (a) 5 - (c) 50 - (e) 100 - **(b) 10** - (d) 75 5. The vertical distance between Earth's surface and the height to which convectional movement extend is called the .......... - (a) vertical ratio - (c) convectional limit - (e) turbulence factor - **(b) stability layer** - (d) mixing depth 6. The major component of photochemical smog is......... - (a) sulfuric acid - (c) particulate matter - (e) carbon monoxide - **(b) ozone** - (d) nitrogen dioxide 7. Two of the most important atmospheric conditions affecting the dispersion of pollutants are strength of the wind and the......... of the air. - (a) stability - (c) visibility - (e) temperature - **(b) pressure** - (d) depth 8. Which one of the following pollutants has shown the greatest percent decrease in concentration during the past years? - (a) ozone - (c) nitrogen dioxide - (e) particulate matter - **(b) sulfur dioxide** - (d) lead 9. This colorless, odorless, poisonous gas is the most abundant primary pollutant. - (a) carbon dioxide - (c) sulfur dioxide - (e) none of the above - **(b) nitrogen oxide** - (d) methane 10. Noise pollution is best described as... - (a) Barking dogs - (c) singing group - **(b) Any unwelcome sound** - (d) Rock music 11. Decibel (dB) is the measure of... - (a) sound intensity - (c) sound language - (b) decorated bells - **(d) sound Frequency** 12. Sound intensity is the air pressure caused by ... - (a) light waves - **(b) sound waves** - (c) space waves - (d) transverse waves 13. Sound intensity measured by decibels is not done by addition but rather through ... - (a) Division - **(b) Subtraction** - (c) Multiplication - (d) addition 14. Painful sensation in the ear is usually at the level of ... - (a) 1000 to 1200 dBA - **(c) 120 to 130 dBA** - (b) 0 to 20 dBA - (d) 50 to 70 dBA 15. The dangerous decibels of noise ... - (a) can be altered by distance - **(b) are not altered by how close you are standing to speakers** - (c) cannot be altered by distance - (d) can be stopped altogether by trees 16. It is important to distinguish between point source and nonpoint source pollution because point source pollution is much easier to control. Which of the following is an example of nonpoint source pollution? - (a) domestic sewage from a town - (b) storm-water runoff from a storm drainpipe - (c) discharge pipe from a meatpacking plant - **(d) agricultural fertilizers from cropland** 17. In which of the following locations is thermal pollution the biggest problem? - (a) surface water - (c) soil - **(b) air** - (d) groundwater 18. Primary sewage treatment removes what percentage of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) from domestic sewage? - (a) 3 - (c) 90 - **(b) 60** - (d) 33 19. Some of the oil pollution of our oceans has always occurred naturally through natural leaks in the ocean floor. However, this source accounts for only about 9% of the oil that reaches our oceans. Which of the following is the primary source of oil pollution in the oceans? - (a) harbor pollution - (b) inland sources, such as motor vehicle crankcases - **(c) oil tanker accidents** 20. Which of the following pathogenic microorganisms is unlikely to be contracted through water? - (a) amoebic dysentery - (c) hepatitis - (e) West Nile virus fever - **(b) typhoid fever** - (d) cholera 21. At what stage in the wastewater treatment procedure would nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus be removed in a secondary treatment facility? - (a) on the trickling filter - (c) never - **(b) at the bar screen** - (d) in settling tank 22. What pollutant has only recently (in the past 10 years) been discovered in many inland waters of the developed nations? - (a) artificial pesticides - **(c) hormone disruptors** - (b) kerosene derivatives - (d) nitrates 23. Which of the following is directly or indirectly related to essentially all of our environmental problems? - (a) depletion of resources - (c) technology - (e) destruction of rainforests - **(b) population growth** - (d) pollution 24. The environmental cause of increase in skin cancer, cataract and mutation is - (a) acid rain - (c) nuclear winter - **(b) global warming** - (d) ozone depletion 25. Greenhouse effect leading to the warming up of the atmosphere is due to - (a) infra-red rays reaching to the earth - (b) UV rays reaching the earth - **(c) increase in temperature due to increase in CO₂ level** - (d) depletion of ozone layer 26. Acid rain - (a) increases the pH of soil - **(b) decreases the pH of soil** - (c) does not change the pH of soil - (d) Increases the fertility of soil 27. Which one is not greenhouse gas? - (a) CO2 - (c) CHa - **(b) Ozone** - (d) CFC 28. Our environment is presently not degrading due to - (a) deforestation - (c) rapid industrialization - (e) none of the above - **(b) overgrazing** - (d) urbanization 29. Which one of the following is NOT included in Earth's climate system? - (a) atmosphere - (c) biosphere - (e) solar sphere - **(b) solid Earth** - (d) hydrosphere 30. Which one of the following is NOT a significant natural cause of climate change? - (a) solar variability - (c) volcanic activity - (e) erosion of the land - **(b) variations in Earth's orbit** - (d) plate tectonics 31. The combustion of coal and oil is a major source of which greenhouse gas? - (a) ozone - (c) methane - (e) none of the above - **(b) nitrous oxide** - (d) CFCs 32. Which of the following is associated with the astronomical theory of climate change? - (a) eccentricity of Earth's orbit - (c) precession of Earth's axis - (e) both precession and obliquity of Earth's axis - **(d) all of the above** 33. Which one of the following is a significant contributor to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide? - (a) deforestation - (c) refrigerant leakage - (e) none of the above - **(b) aerosol spray can gases** - (d) large rice paddies 34. The slow wobbling of Earth as it spins on its axis is called......... - (a) eccentricity - (c) aphelion - (e) extension - **(b) obliquity** - (d) precession 35. Which of the following is a possible consequence of a greenhouse warming? - (a) a change in agricultural productivity - (c) new weather patterns - (e) all of the above - **(b) a rise in sea level** - (d) alteration of the world's water resources 36. Oxygen isotope analysis measures the......... - (a) amount of radioactive oxygen in the air - (b) oxygen content of ocean water - **(c) ratio of two different types of oxygen atoms** - (d) oxygen content of organic sediment - (e) rate of oxygen depletion 37. Which one of the following is NOT a greenhouse gas? - (a) nitrous oxide - (c) carbon dioxide - (e) all are greenhouse gases - **(d) oxygen** 38. When determining climate change, oxygen isotope measurements are made from an analysis of - (a) ocean water - (c) cores from old trees - (e) none of the above - **(b) lava** - (d) glacial ice 39. Along with carbon dioxide......... is largely responsible for the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere. - (a) nitrogen - (c) sulfur dioxide - (e) water vapour - **(b) hydrogen** - (d) oxygen 40. Which of the following help scientists discover how climate has changed over broad expanses of time? - (a) sea-floor sediments - (c) paleosols (buried soils) - **(d) all of the above** - (e) only sea-floor sediments and oxygen isotope analysis 41. The greenhouse effect is caused by ... - **(b) Greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere absorbing radiation from the Earth's surface, and preventing much of it escaping into space** - (a) Greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere absorbing solar radiation - (c) Too much heat in the atmosphere - (d) Too much sunshine reaching Earth 42. Which of these natural events affect the climate? - (a) Thawing permafrost - (c) Volcanic eruptions - **(d) All of the above** - (b) The path of the Earth around the sun 43. Which of these greenhouse gases is most abundant in the atmosphere? - **(d) Water vapour** - (b) Methane 44. What greenhouse gas was not present in the atmosphere in pre-industrial times (before 1750)? - **(a) Trichlorofluoromethane** - (b) Carbon dioxide - (c) Nitrous oxide - (d) Methane 45. Which of these countries has the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions? - **(a) United States** - (b) Australia - (c) Saudi Arabia - (d) China 46. Which of the following activities contributes the most to carbon emissions globally? - **(d) Energy supply** - (a) Agriculture - (b) Transport - (c) Forestry. 47. The 1987 Montreal Protocol was signed for which of the following reasons? - **(a) To phase out the use of CFC's, found to be causing depletion of the ozone layer** - (b) To begin converting from fossil fuel use to more renewable energy sources to reduce the anthropogenic greenhouse effect - (c) To stop the global trade in products made from endangered tigers - (d) To ban nuclear testing in tropical oceans 48. One effect of global warming is a rise in sea levels, which certainly could affect coastal cities that are little above current sea level. How much has the sea level risen in the past 100 years? - **(c) 6-8 inches** - (a) 1-2 inches - (b) 6-8 feet - (d) 1-2 feet 49. What would the Kyoto Protocol do? - **(d) By 2012, it would curb CO2 emissions from all developed countries to bring them about 6 to 8% down from the levels reached in 1990.** - (a) It would not allow developing countries like China to modify their coal-burning equipment to prevent further increases in carbon dioxide levels. - (b) It would curb all CO2 emissions from all countries to bring them about 15 to 20% down from the levels reached in 1990. - (c) It would completely ban production of CFCs. 50. In water treatment plant, the process of removal of suspended solids trapped in floc is called as .... - **(d) sedimentation** - (a) coagulation - (b) pre-chlorination - (c) chlorination 51. The killing of bacteria - **(a) Disinfection** - (b) Sedimentation - (c) Aeration - (d) Filtration 52. ....... is the water draining from your house's sinks, bathtubs, laundry machine which can be used to water plants. - (a) Black water - (c) Yellow water - **(b) Grey water** - (d) Blue water 53. The water from toilets, which needs to be treated is called as - (a) Black water - (c) Yellow water - **(b) Blue water** - (d) Brown water 54. The lawn made by dnought-resistant grasses is called as........... - (a) ECO lawn - (c) Biotic lawn - **(b) Show lawn** - (d) Shower lawn 55. Domestic sewage is ..........% of pure water - (a) 99.9 - (c) 90.9 - **(b) 9.9** - (d) 100 56. In domestic sewage the % of pollutants is - (a) 0.1% - (c) 99% - **(b) 0.001%** - (d) 100% 57. VOC stands for - **(b) Volatile Organic Compound** - (a) Volcanic Organic Compound - (c) Various Organic Compound - (d) Volcanic obtain Compound 58. 1, 3-butadine is dangerous compound which is often associated with........uses. - **(a) industrial** - (c) agricultural - (b) non industrial - (d) none of these 59. The world 'smog' is coined out of smoke and. - (a) smell - (c) flock - **(b) fog** - (d) foc 60. POP stands for - (a) Persistent Organic Pollutants - (c) Properly organized Pollutants - **(b) Proper Organic Pollutants** - (d) Purposely Organized Pollutants 61. Radon gas from radioactive decay within earth's - (a) crust - (c) water - **(b) surface** - (d) air 62. Radon gas is formed from decay of.......... - **(a) Radium** - (b) Methane - (c) Sodium - (d) Atom 63. Radom gas is responsible for - (a) bone cancer - (c) skin cancer - **(b) lung cancer** - (d) blood cancer 64. The worst short term civilian pollution crisis in India was the 1984 - **(b) Bhopal** - (a) Nagpur - (c) Delhi - (d) Kanpur 65. India where buses now use compressed natural gas to help eliminate the smog. - (a) pea-soup - (c) pea-rock - **(b) pea-click** - (d) pea-pea 66. ........... is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. - **(a) photochemical smog** - (c) permanent smog - (b) persistant smog - (d) none of these 67. An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is a ....... device. - **(d) none of these** - (a) filtration - (b) sedimentation - (c) coagulation 68. As per national ambient air quality standards, the amount of ozone (03) in µg/m³ (1 hour) for residential area is - **(a) 200** - (b) 300 - (c) 180 - (d) 90 69. ........... are efficient at removing dust and particles. - **(a) venture scrubbers** - (b) ventilators - (c) high volume sampler - (d) none of these ### Additional Active Questions 1. Natural pollution is caused by - **(b) vehicle emissions** - (a) volcanic eruptions - (c) cutting of woods - (d) smoke from industry 2. DDT is the - **(b) Primary pollutants** - (a) Natural pollutants - (c) Secondary pollutants - (d) None of these 3. Peroxy-acetyl nitrate (PAN) is formed by the reaction of two primary pollutant, namely nitrogen oxide and......... released from motor vehicle in presence of sunlight. - **(b) hydro-carbons** - (a) hydro-neutrons - (c) water-carbons - (d) SO2 4. The pollutants which are occur in nature but becomes pollutant when their concentration reaches beyond a threshold value in the environment are called as ... - **(c) Secondary pollutants** - (a) Primary pollutants - (b) Quantitative pollutants - (d) Qualitative pollutants 5. The pollutants which do not occur in the environment but are passed into it through human activities are called as ... - **(a) Qualitative pollutants** - (b) Quantitative pollutants - (c) Natural pollutants 6. DDT is an example of - **(a) Qualitative pollutant** - (b) Quantitative pollutant - (c) Natural pollutant 7. CO2 is an example of - **(b) Quantitative pollutant** - (a) Artificial pollutant - (c) Qualitative pollutant 8. The pollutants which are waste products and they are slowly degraded by microbial action are called as ... - **(a) Biodegradable pollutants** - (b) Non-biodegradable pollutants - (c) Artificial pollutants 9. In terms of origin, pollution may be natural and.......... - (a) super natural - **(c) anthropogenic** - (b) sub-natural - (d) anti-anthropogenic 10. The man made pollution, such as industrial pollution, agricultural pollution etc. are called as ... - **(a) Anthropogenic** - (b) Anti-anthropogenic - (c) Semi-anthropogenic - (d) Natural 11. On the basis of physical state, air pollutants are of two types, one is gaseous and other is.......... - **(c) particulate** - (a) Foam - (b) semi-particulate - (d) fog 12. The pollutants occur as solid and liquid state are referred as - **(a) particulate** - (b) Fog - (c) tri particulate - (d) Gaseous pollutant 13. The vapour of compounds whose boiling point is below 200°C are included in.......... - **(b) gaseous pollutant** - (a) particulate pollutant - (c) smog - (d) mist 14. The smaller particles such as dust, smoke etc. which remain suspended for long period in air are called ... - **(b) Suspended particles** - (a) Setteable particles - (c) Gaseous pollutants - (d) Micro pollutants 15. The particles larger than 10 µm in diameter such as water drop are called as ... - **(b) Setteable particles** - (a) Gaseous pollutants - (c) Non-setteable particles - (d) Suspended particles 16. The larger suspended particles which more than 1 µm in diameter are called - **(a) Dust and Mist** - (b) Gaseous and semi-gaseous pollutants - (c) Fog and Frost - (d) Aqua and Rox-mixed 17. Cotton dust produce lung fibros is, also called as ... - **(a) byssinosis** - (b) silicosis - (c) siderosis - (d) none of these 18. Air borne organic materials such as spores, pollen, bacteria, fungi cause several diseases and allergic reactions called as ... - **(a) hay fever** - (b) T.B. - (c) Ronbix - (d) Altra-Rix 19. BOD stands for - **(b) Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand** - (a) Biological Oxygen Demand - (c) Bio-Chemical Ozone Demand 20. BOD expressed in - **(c) milligrams of oxygen per litre of water** - (a) milligrams of carbon per litre of water - (b) milligrams of sulphur per litre of water - (d) micrograms of oxygen per litre of water 21. COD stands for - **(d) Chemical Oxygen Demand** - (a) Carbon Oxygen Demand - (b) Carbon Obtained Demand - (c) Chemical Carbon Demand 22. An accidential discharge of petroleum in oceans is called ... - **(c) oil spills** - (a) oil leak - (b) oil milk - (d) oil waste 23. Water having DO content below......... is considered to be highly polluted. - **(d) 0.01 mg/L** - (a) 4.0 mg/L - (b) 8.0 mg/L - (c) 11.2 mg/L 24. The species survive in highly polluted water with low DO content are recognized as ....... for polluted. water. - **(c) Indicator species** - (a) Re-survive species - (b) Top species - (d) Gama species 25. Water contaminated with cadmium can cause......... disease. - **(a) Itai itai disease** - (b) La la disease - (c) Minamata disease - (d) Sasu disease 26. Pesticides are also called as - **(b) biocides** - (a) supercides - (c) nano-cides - (d) catcides 27. Increase in the concentration of soluble salts in the soil is called as .......... - **(c) salination** - (a) soilification - (b) soluble-soil - (d) desalination 28. Radioactivity is a property of certain elements to spontaneously emit protons. Protons means emission of........... - **(c) gamma particles** - (a) alpha particles - (b) beta particles - (d) none of these 29. The unit of sound level is........... - **(a) decibel** - (b) noise-meter - (c) dolphan - (d) dub 30. Noise level beyond.........db cause physical discomfort. - **(c) 120** - (a) 1120 - (b) 10 - (d) 0 31. Environmental pollution means adding....... to environment. - **(b) chemicals** - (a) impurity - (c) metals - (d) non-metais 32. Industrial pollution is.......... - **(a) Man made pollution** - (b) Natural pollution - (c) Self pollution - (d) None of these 33. Volcanic eruptions release gases and volcanic........... - **(a) Ash** - (b) Chemical - (c). Dater - (d) Carbon 34. Decay of organic matter in marshy places releases.......... - **(a) Marsh gas** - (b) Chemical gas - (c) Wood sap - (d) None of these 35........... is a chemical substance found within an organism. - **(a) Xenobiotic** - (b) Noxenobiotic - (c) Virus - (d) Fungi 36. Cronic exposure to benzene at sufficient concentrations is known to be associated with higher incidence of......... - **(a) leukemia** - (b) cough - (c) hair loss - (d) eye irritation 37. The total mass of the earth's hydrosphere is about......... 18 tonnes. - **(b) 2** - (a) 1 - (c) 3 38. The total mass of earth's hydrosphere is about.........% of the earth's total mass. - **(d) 0.023%** - (a) 1 - (b) 2 - (c) 3 39. Surface water is .........% of the fresh water. - **(b) 0.1** - (a) 1 - (c) 0.3 - (d) 10 40. Sub surface water or ground water is approximately..........% of fresh water. - (b) 20.1 - **(c) 30.1** - (a) 10.1 - (d) 40.1 41. Sub surface water or ground water is about..........% of the total water available on earth. - **(c) 3** - (a) 1 - (b) 2 - (d) 10 42. The fresh water located in the pore space of soil and rocks is called as - **(a) sub surface water** - (b) well water - (c) ice water - (d) polluted water 43. ........... of fresh water is entrapped in icecaps and glaciers. - **(b) 11%** - (a) 68.7 - (c) 1.1 - (d) 11.8 44. The Himalayas, which are often called - **(a) The roof of the world** - (b) The cap of the world - (c) The acme of the world - (d) Glorry of the world 45. Factories are the....... of water pollution. - **(a) point source** - (b) non point source - (c) artificial source - (d) none of these 46. ..........are the source of pollutants that cannot be traced to a single point of discharge. - **(b) Non point source** - (a) Point source - (c) Artificial source - (d) None of these 47. .......... is caused due to poor drinking water. - **(a) Cholera** - (b) Maleriya - (c) Dengu - (d) Asthama 48 As per BIS, PH value of drinking water is. - **(d) 6.5-8.5** - (a) 1-2 - (b) 2-4 - (c) 4-8 49. As per BIS, the acceptable limit of dissolved solids (m/l) in drinking water is - **(c) 500** - (a) 100 - (b) 200 - (d) 1000 50. In water treatment plant, the process of removal of suspended solids trapped in floc is called as .... - **(d) sedimentation** - (a) coagulation - (b) pre-chlorination - (c) chlorination 51. Which strategy below will not assist us in preventing acid rain? - **(c) using used rubber tires on children's playgrounds** - (a) installing scrubbers at power plants - (b) switching to wind power as a source of electricity - (d) switching to low-sulfur coal 52. The pH scale is logarithmic; that is, each unit on it is 10 times greater than the previous one. - **(a) True** - (b) False 53. Even with a complete CFC ban worldwide, it will take the ozone layer 50 to 100 years to recover. - **(a) True** - (b) False 54. Ozone is a pollutant at ground level, but it is a desirable chemical in the stratosphere because it blocks dangerous ultraviolet radiation. - **(a) True** - (b) False 55. An ozone hole can occur only over Antarctica. - **(b) False** - (a) True 56. The projected effects of global warming are all negative. - **(b) False** - (a) True 57. Global warming over the 21st century will likely result in a 10 meter rise in ocean levels. - **(b) False** - (a) True 58. Because warming is global, Earth is warming up uniformly everywhere. - **(b) False** - (a) True 59. Reductions in methane emissions could help mitigate global warming. - **(a) True** - (b) False 60. All global circulation models predict a future that is warmer than today for the next 50-100 years. - **(a) True** - (b) False 61. In the past century, the amount of precipitation worldwide has decreased. - **(b) False** - (a) True 62. To stop global warming by the end of the 21st century, we would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions much more than what's required under Kyoto Protocol (6 to 8%), perhaps by as much as 80% within the next 20-50 years. - **(a) True** - (b) False 63. (a) Normal rain's pH varies by more than 3 pH units. (b) Normal rain has perfectly neutral reaction (pH = 7) - **(c) Normal rain is mildly acidic because of the carbonic acid (pH < 7).** (d) It is impossible to tell. (e) Normal rain is mildly alkaline (pH > 7). 64. Which statement best describes the current situation with the ozone hole? - **(b) The ozone hole has shown a major decline after the ozone-depleting chemicals were banned under the Montreal Protocol.** - (a) The ozone hole has grown about 50% larger. - (c) The ozone hole remained more or less constant in size since 2000, despite a slight reduction in the amount of CFCs in the stratosphere. - (d) Ozone holes of about equal size are now developing in both the Arctic and Antarctica.