QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 17 May 2019

Solution: b)

There are both natural and human sources of methane emissions. The main natural sources include wetlands, termites and the oceans. Natural sources create 36% of methane emissions. Human sources include landfills and livestock farming. But the most important source being the production, transportation and use of fossil fuels. Human-related sources create the majority of methane emissions, accounting for 64% of the total. Methane levels have more than doubled over the last 150 years. This is because of human activities like fossil fuel use and intensive farming.

Since the Industrial Revolution, human sources of methane emissions have been growing. Fossil fuel production and intensive livestock farming have caused the current increase methane levels. Together these two sources are responsible for 60% of all human methane emissions. Other sources include landfills and waste (16%), biomass burning (11%), rice agriculture (9%) as well as biofuels (4%)

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Solution: a)

Formalin (formaldehyde in water) is a common adulterant in fish. Traders and suppliers use it to extend the storage life of fresh or chilled fish and artificially improve the sensory attributes.

Formalin is derived from formaldehyde which is a known cancer-causing agent. It is used to preserve bodies in mortuaries.

• In June 2018, Kerala food safety department officials seized nearly 9,600 kg of fish preserved in formalin at a border check post in Kollam district. The seizure was part of ‘Operation Sagar Rani’ launched by the state.

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Solution: c)

Fall Armyworm is an insect native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. It was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 and has now spread across Sub-Saharan Africa and recently reached Yemen and India.

In the larval stage, the insect causes damage to crops, feeding on more than 80 plant species.

FAW primarily affects maize, but also rice and sorghum as well as cotton and some vegetables.

The moth can fly up to 100 km per night and the female moth can lay up to a total of 1000 eggs in her lifetime.

Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has caused extensive damage to maize crops in Tiruchi, Karur, Perambalur and several other districts in Tamil Nadu.

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Solution: d)

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. The ISS is now the largest artificial body in orbit.

o The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields.

o The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.

o The ISS programme is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.

o The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.

o The station is divided into two sections, the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations.

Solution: a)

42 rivers in India are polluted with at least two toxic heavy metals reveals this report published by Central Water Commission. Ganga, the national river, is polluted with five heavy metals—chromium, copper, nickel, lead and iron.

Unlike organic contaminants, heavy metals are non-biodegradable and also carcinogenic. Heavy metals such as Zinc, Copper, Nickel, Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, Chromium and Arsenic tend to accumulate in organisms, which may lead to a reduction in species diversity. Central Water Commission under Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR has been playing a major role in the monitoring water quality of river water since year 1963 and at present, is observing water quality at 429 key locations covering all major river basins of India. The present report attempts to provide the water quality scenario of Indian rivers in respect of trace & toxic metals.

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