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:
(a), (b) and (c)
The question asks us to identify the most important pollutants that cause degradation of water quality in rivers and streams. Let's analyze each option and determine their impact:
- (a) Bacteria: Bacteria are a major pollutant as they indicate the presence of pathogens, which can lead to waterborne diseases. The presence of bacteria, particularly coliforms, is a common measure of water contamination.
- (b) Nutrients: Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can lead to eutrophication, which significantly affects water quality. This can cause overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants, leading to oxygen depletion and harm to aquatic life.
- (c) Metals: Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic are toxic to aquatic life and can pose serious health risks to humans through bioaccumulation in the food chain.
- (d) Total dissolved solids (TDS): While TDS can indicate the presence of a variety of substances in water, not all of these substances are necessarily pollutants. High levels can affect water clarity and conductivity but are not immediately harmful like bacteria or heavy metals.
- (e) Algae: Algae themselves are not a pollutant, but their overgrowth due to excess nutrients can lead to negative consequences such as hypoxia (low oxygen levels), affecting aquatic life.
Considering the explanations above, the key pollutants that directly degrade water quality in rivers and streams include:
- Bacteria, for introducing harmful pathogens.
- Nutrients, for causing eutrophication and related issues.
- Metals, for their toxicity and health risks.
Thus, the most appropriate answer is (a), (b) and (c).
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 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:The most harmful types of environmental pollutants are:
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?
