UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on fluoride content in groundwater, biofuel, primates and more (Week 119)

QUESTION 1

Consider the following:

1. Loss of fertile land

2. Water table depletion

3. Riverbed degradation

How many of the above environmental damages are caused by illegal sand mining?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Illegal sand mining causes environmental damage such as riverbed degradation, loss of aquatic habitat, increased turbidity, water table depletion, soil erosion, flooding, infrastructure damage, loss of fertile land, negative impact on local ecosystems, decreased water quality, and a risk to the ecological balance of the riverine regime.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the fluoride content in groundwater, consider the following statements:

1. Tamil Nadu has the maximum fluoride content in groundwater.

2. Fluoride contamination over 1.50mg/litre is deemed unfit for drinking purposes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Excess fluoride increases the risks of disease conditions like skeletal fluorosis, accelerates the rate of dental decay and can cause other human health hazards, especially among children.

— Even though fluoride is among the many minerals found naturally in groundwater, the nationally permissible limit is 1.50 milligrams/litre. Contamination over 1.50mg/litre is deemed unfit for drinking purposes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Fluoride is discharged and mixed with groundwater as a result of the leaching and dissolving of fluoride-bearing minerals in the host water aquifers.

— The average fluoride concentration in groundwater was greater in dry, western Indian areas. Rajasthan topped the charts, with pre-monsoon concentrations of 1.41mg/litre and post-monsoon concentrations of 1.44mg/litre, both of which were near to India’s maximum allowable limit. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the primates, consider the following statements:

1. Female dominance in many primate groups develops through reproductive control rather than physical prowess.

2. Male dominance is common in primate societies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— A new study seems to suggest that male dominance is rare in primate societies, as most species have females holding equal or more power. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The study, ‘The evolution of male-female dominance relationships in primate societies’, seems to break long-standing assumptions about gender roles. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), the groundbreaking study has changed our understanding of gender and power dynamics in the animal kingdom.

— Overall, the researchers discovered that male dominance occurred in only 25 of 151 groups, with males winning more than 90% of bouts against the other sex. Only 16 communities had female domination, while the remaining 70% of tribes had no dominant sex or only minor dominance.

— The study also calls into question the idea that force is always the foundation of power. Female dominance in many primate communities arises from reproductive control rather than physical prowess. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Male dominance can be evident in terrestrial species (where strength is important), sexually dimorphic species (groups with larger, stronger men), and polygynous societies (where males compete for several females).

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Which of the following species can withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees Celsius?

1. Thermophiles

2. Tardigrades

3. Pompeii worm

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 3 only

Explanation

Pompeii worm

— Found hanging around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the Pompeii worm doesn’t flinch at boiling water. It lives in areas where the temperature can go up to 105°C.

— These worms have bacteria living on their backs, acting as a heat shield. It’s a strange but genius partnership: the bacteria help the worm survive, and in return, they get a cosy home.

Tardigrades

— If there were a “Toughest Creature Alive” contest, tardigrades would probably win. These microscopic animals can survive nearly anything — freezing cold, extreme heat (up to 150°C), radiation, dehydration, and even outer space, according to scientific experiments.

Heat-loving microbes (Thermophiles)

— Some of them thrive in boiling geysers or hot springs at over 120°C. One particular species, nicknamed “Strain 121,” survives at autoclave temperatures (121°C).

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Rat-hole mining is prevalent in:

(a) Sikkim

(b) Jammu and Kashmir

(c) Kerala

(d) Meghalaya

Explanation

— Rat-hole mining, a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams, is common in Meghalaya. The term “rat hole” refers to narrow pits dug into the ground, usually only large enough for one person to descend and extract coal.

— After digging the pits, miners use ropes or bamboo ladders to descend to the coal seams. The coal is then physically removed with rudimentary instruments like pickaxes, shovels, and baskets.

— Rat hole mining causes severe safety and environmental risks. Mines are often unregulated, with no safety measures such as sufficient ventilation, structural support, or worker protective equipment. Furthermore, the mining process can result in land degradation, deforestation, and water contamination.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 6

With reference to biofuel, consider the following statements:

1. Sugarcane-based ethanol results in overall negative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

2. The use of maize for biofuel has turned India from an importer to surplus producer and exporter of the feed grain.

Which of the above given statements is/are true?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Bioethanol can be easily generated from sugarcane, beet juice, rice, maize, and other grains. Notably, the use of maize for biofuel has turned India from a surplus producer and exporter to an importer of the feed grain. At the same time, debates are on over allowing imports of genetically modified maize for ethanol production.

— The US is the largest producer of ethanol, with more than 16 billion gallons produced in 2024. This is followed by Brazil. While ethanol produced in the US is primarily produced from corn, Brazil mainly produces its ethanol from sugarcane. In 2022, India also reached a record landmark of producing more than one billion gallons of ethanol and is now contributing around 5 per cent to the total global ethanol production.

— Compared to the US, ethanol produced in Brazil has a lower environmental impact due to integrated processing: waste bagasse from sugarcane is used to generate power for distilleries; molasses is used for cattle feed; surplus bagasse is pressed with binder to produce boards and construction material; and boiler ash serves as a source of phosphate.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 7

The new ‘Super Swachh League’ category of the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 awards does not include which of the following cities?

(a) Ahmedabad

(b) Indore

(c) Surat

(d) Vijayawada

Explanation

— Ahmedabad was named the cleanest big city in the country in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards, followed by Bhopal and Lucknow, even as past winners, including Indore and Surat, were moved to a new ‘Super Swachh League’ category that was kept out of the nationwide ranking.

— This new category of Super Swachh League Cities, included Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai and Vijayawada in cities with more than 10 lakh population; and Noida, Chandigarh, Mysuru, Ujjain and Gandhinagar among cities with 3 lakh to 10 lakh population.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 8

In the run-up to the Bonn climate talks, which began recently, India enlisted the support of other developing countries in demanding that a separate agenda item be opened to discuss the implementation of Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement. What does Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement say?

(a) Parties should take action to conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases including forests.

(b) Developed country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties with respect to both mitigation and adaptation in continuation of their existing obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

(c) In order to achieve the long-term temperature goal, Parties aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.

(d) Parties share a long-term vision on the importance of fully realizing technology development and transfer in order to improve resilience to climate change and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Explanation

— In a small but important victory in climate negotiations, developing countries led by India have managed to force a reopening of discussions on the obligations of developed nations to “provide” finance, and not just make efforts towards “mobilising” financial resources, for climate action.

— The Paris Agreement obligates the developed nations to both “provide” finance (Article 9.1) as well as “take the lead in mobilising climate finance” (Article 9.3). The two are related but independent obligations. One does not replace, or take precedence over, the other.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 117)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 119)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 119)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 119)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 118)

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