The most harmful types of environmental pollutants are:
Non-biodegradable chemicals
The question asks which type of environmental pollutant is the most harmful. To answer this, we need to evaluate the options given one by one:
- Natural nutrients present in excess: While an excess of natural nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to problems such as eutrophication, they are not typically classified as the most harmful pollutants because they degrade naturally over time.
- Wastes from faecal matter: These can cause environmental and health issues, including water contamination and the spread of diseases. However, with modern waste management systems, these can be treated and recycled effectively.
- Non-biodegradable chemicals: These include substances such as plastics, synthetic chemicals, and heavy metals. They do not decompose naturally, persist in the environment for a long time, accumulate in food chains, and can cause severe long-term environmental damage and health hazards. Hence, they are considered one of the most harmful types of environmental pollutants.
- Human organic wastes: Similar to faecal matter, human organic wastes can cause pollution but are generally biodegradable and can be managed with proper waste treatment processes.
Conclusion: Based on the evaluation, non-biodegradable chemicals are indeed the most harmful type of environmental pollutants due to their persistence and potential to cause long-term ecological harm. Therefore, the correct answer is:
- Non-biodegradable chemicals
Similar Questions
Give below are two statements:
Statement I : Thermal pollution, usually effluent from cooling systems of power plants or other industries, alters water temperature in a lake or stream.
Statement II : Humans also cause thermal pollution by altering vegetation cover and run-off patterns.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Major contributor to carbon monoxide emissions in metropolitan areas of India is/are:
The most important pollutants that cause degradation of water quality in rivers and streams are
(a) Bacteria
(b) Nutrients
(c) Metals
(d) Total dissolved solids
(e) Algae
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:The most dominant source of Benzene emissions in ambient air is
Major sources of oxygen demanding waste in fresh water systems are
(a) Agricultural run-off
(b) Food processing
(c) Ore mining
(d) Sewage effluent
(e) Landfill sites
Choose the correct option from those given below: -
Which of the following pollutant gases is not produced both naturally and as a result of industrial activity?
Which of the following pollutants is the major cause of respiratory diseases?
Assertion (A): In urban areas, smog episodes occur frequently in winters.
Reason (R): In winters, a lot of biomass is burnt by people for heating purposes or to keep themselves warm.
Choose the correct answer from the code given below:
With increase in temperature, the dissolved oxygen content in a water body will:
In the formation of Surface Ozone, which of the following do play an important role?
(a) Oxides of nitrogen
(b) Oxides of sulphur
(c) Sunlight
(d) Carbon monoxide
Choose the correct answer from the code given below:
Important Questions from Pollution
Which of the following isnota common component of photo-chemical smog?
Which of the following is NOT the main objective of Ganga action plan?
Which of the following pollutants causes water pollution ?
Presence of which pathogenic microbe in water is indication of contamination?
Which of the following isnota vehicular pollutant?
