[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 28 March 2023 – Environment

Solution: a)

Fossil fuels generally are the products of the carbonisation of vegetable matter. The term carbonisation is also applied to the pyrolysis of coal to produce coke. Carbonisation is also a stage in the charcoal making process, and is considered the most important step of all since it has such power to influence the whole process from the growing tree to the final distribution of charcoal to various sources. The gas produced by carbonisation has a high content of carbon monoxide which is poisonous when breathed.

Solution: c)

Carbon sinks are natural systems that suck up and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Earth’s land and oceans absorb about half of all carbon dioxide emissions from human activities.

Mangroves, seagrass beds and salt marshes store at least ten times more carbon than continental forests.

Sedimentary rocks in the Earth’s crust contain loads of carbon compounds, including the hydrocarbons we use as fossil fuels that leads to excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

A forest is considered a carbon sink if it absorbs more carbon than it releases.

Solution: b)

Warming oceans can cause stress, decrease the range, increase diseases and even wipe out many commonly eaten fish.

As temperature increases, the demand for oxygen of many fish species will exceed their capacity to extract oxygen from the environment through their gills. As a result, the aerobic capacity of fish decreases in warming waters, and this reduction may be more important in larger fishes.

Solution: c)

According to IPCC report, climate change would hit the poorest countries severely in terms of reducing the agricultural products.

• Crop yield would be reduced due to decreased water availability, and new or changed insect/pest incidence. This is because higher temperature is conducive for the growth of pests.
• Agriculture will be adversely affected not only by an increase or decrease in the overall amounts of rainfall but also by shifts in the timing of the rainfall.

Solution: c)

The amount of oxygen that is required for the chemical oxidation of the organic and inorganic chemicals present in the wastewater by utilising oxidising agents like Potassium permanganate, Potassium dichromate etc. is called as chemical oxygen demand (COD).  COD is the oxygen demand that is consumed by both inorganic and organic matter present in the wastewater sample.