Daily Quiz – 27th May 2024

Exp) Option a is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Central Ground Water Board was established in 1970 by renaming the Exploratory Tube Wells Organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Statement 2 is correct: The primary objectives of the CGWB are:

1) To develop groundwater policies, programmes and practices to monitor and enable effective use of the country‟s ground water resources in a sustainable manner with active involvement of all stakeholders.

2) To put into place scientific system and practices, which would result in sustained increase in ground water use efficiency.

3) To disseminate information, skills and knowledge, which would help in capacity building and mass awareness in the ground water sector.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The National Program Management Unit (NPMU) established in the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti is responsible for the overall management and implementation of Atal Bhujal Yojana.

Exp) Option d is the correct answer.

Fly ash is primarily composed of fine particles that are carried away in the flue gas during the combustion of coal. It is generally composed of components like aluminum silicate, silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, and other trace elements.

Statement 1 is correct: Dusting vegetables and rice with fly ash provides effective protection against chewing and sucking pests and insects. It is especially useful in managing serious rice pests such as leaf folder, yellow caterpillar, spiny beetle, ear head bug, brown bug, black bug, and grasshoppers. Additionally, fly ash helps eliminate sucking pests like brown plant hopper (BPH) and green leafhopper (GLH) when incorporated into their diet in liquid form.

Statement 2 is correct: Fly ash bricks are desirable because of their lightweight as compared to the traditionally manufactured bricks. Apart from being lightweight, these bricks possess high strength. Statement 3 is correct: Fly ash is commonly used as a raw material in the production of geopolymers, which are cement-like materials. Geopolymers have applications in construction, serving as alternatives to traditional Portland cement.

Statement 4 is correct: Fly ash can be used as a photocatalyst for the removal of dyes and other pollutants from wastewater. The porous structure of fly ash can enhance its photocatalytic properties.

Exp) Option c is the correct answer.

Torrefaction is a newly emerging technique for biochar production. The oxygen, moisture, and carbon dioxide present in the biomass are removed to produce biochar.

Statement 1 is correct: Torrefaction is a thermal treatment process applied to biomass in the absence of oxygen. It involves heating the biomass material at a moderate temperature (typically between 200-300°C) to remove moisture and volatile organic compounds. The goal is to enhance the physical and energy properties of biomass, making it more suitable for various applications, including energy production.

Statement 2 is correct: Torrefaction can be used to convert various types of biomasses, including rice stubble, into a form often referred to as 'bio-coal' or torrefied biomass. The process not only reduces moisture content but also increases the energy density of the biomass.

Phytoremediation is an environmentally sustainable technique that employs plants to mitigate and remediate soil contaminated by pollutants. This approach harnesses the unique ability of certain plants to absorb, accumulate, or transform contaminants, contributing to the restoration of ecosystems.

Option a is incorrect: Phytoextraction involves the use of plants to absorb and accumulate pollutants, particularly metals, from the soil into their tissues. This process is often used for hyperaccumulating plants that have a high capacity to accumulate specific contaminants. Phytoextraction focuses on actively extracting metals from the soil, whereas Phyto stabilization focuses on preventing leaching and dispersion of heavy metals rather than actively extracting them.

Option b is incorrect: Phytotransformation refers to the transformation or breakdown of contaminants by plants into less toxic forms. This involves uptake of organic contaminants from soil by plants and their transformation into less toxic forms. This process involves biochemical reactions within the plant tissues. However, the provided statements do not discuss the transformation of contaminants by plants; instead, they emphasize immobilization and containment to prevent environmental dispersion.

Option c is correct: Phytostabilization involves using metal-tolerant plant species, to immobilize and contain contaminants, particularly heavy metals, within the soil. The primary goal is to stabilize pollutants in place, preventing their leaching into groundwater and the dispersion of contaminated soil. One of the advantages of phytostabilization is that disposal of hazardous biomass is not required when compared with phytoextraction. Thus, the statements align with the characteristics of phytostabilization, including the use of metal-tolerant plants and the prevention of leaching and dispersion.

Statement d is incorrect: Phytodegradation involves the breakdown or degradation of organic contaminants by plants, often through the action of enzymes produced by plant roots or associated microorganisms. The description provided does not focus on degradation but rather on the immobilization and containment of heavy metals. Hence, the given option is incorrect.

Exp) Option b is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is incorrect. In copper smelting process, first, the carbon (C) combusts with oxygen (O2) in the air to produce carbon monoxide (CO). Second, the carbon monoxide reacts with the ore and removes one of its oxygen atoms, releasing carbon dioxide. Hence, it does not release lethal quantity of CO in the environment.

Statement 2 is correct. Copper smelters emit staggering amounts of toxic pollution i.e., lead, arsenic and selenium. These heavy metals and particulate matter from copper smelters contaminate the environment downwind and downstream.

Statement 3 is correct. Copper smelters are the largest source of sulphur oxides (SOx) and trace elements. Suspended particles have a pollution scope of 2-3 km, while Sulphur dioxide has a range of as much as 15 km.