Chapter 16: Environmental Issues

Ans: There is a presence of lead in diesel and petroleum. The gaseous exhaust emitted by vehicles contains lead. The automobile parts like converters are damaged by fuel containing lead, it is also harmful to humans and other organisms. In adverse conditions it may also cause mental retardation in children. The lead less fuel costs cheaper and has only fewer disadvantages when compared to the lead containing fuels.

Ans: The air (prevention and control of pollution) act was enacted in 1981. This act was amended in 1987 to provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in India. The main cause behind amendment of act in 1987 was to include noise as an air pollutant.

Ans: In India, New Delhi is a city where entire public transport runs on CNG. CNG is considered as the most suitable alternative to petrol or diesel in terms of adverse impact on the environment. In 2002, as ordered by the Indian government, public transport vehicles in Delhi switched to CNG as it causes less pollution and burns more efficiently.

Ans: The source of silt that gets deposited in the water tank is soil particles that are carried out with water from the source of supply like deep borewells, rivers, etc.

Ans: Cultural eutrophication is nutrient enrichment of water bodies due to human activities like the passage of sewage, industrial effluents, and runoff from fertilized fields rich in nitrates and phosphates. It occurs when human-caused water pollution speeds up the aging of lakes and rivers.

Ans: The health effects of particulate matter are as follows:

a) The premature death of people with heart or lung diseases.

b) Irregular heartbeat

c) Asthma

d) Decreased lung functioning

e) Coughing or difficulty in breathing.

Ans: The polyblend is the fine powder of recycled plastic waste. So the raw material of polyblend is recycled plastic or any plastic film waste.

Ans: The addition of polyblend to bitumen enhances the water repellant property of bitumen. This increases the road life factor by three.

Ans: The examples of plants used as windbreakers in agricultural fields are Coconut (Cocos) and Betelnut (Areca).

Ans: The fertilizer industry is the industry that can cause both air and thermal pollution as well as eutrophication.