indiadigital
Home / Abhyas / Abhyas Prep: Environment and Ecology (UPSC and MPSC) / Pollution and health
ABHYAS PREP: ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (UPSC AND MPSC) · POLLUTION

Pollution and health

Which pollutant causes which disease or disaster.

Loading practice…

Worked examples

Example 1 · level 1

Which of these is caused mainly by silica dust?

  1. Itai-itai disease
  2. Black foot disease
  3. Silicosis
  4. Black lung disease
Show solution
  1. Silicosis: silica dust.
  2. Black foot disease: arsenic.
  3. Itai-itai disease: cadmium (Japanese for "it hurts, it hurts", from bone pain).
  4. Black lung disease: coal dust.
  5. Source: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php

Answer: Silicosis

Example 2 · level 2

Plumbism is caused mainly by:

  1. arsenic
  2. mercury
  3. cadmium
  4. lead
Show solution
  1. Plumbism: lead (from plumbum, Latin for lead).
  2. Itai-itai disease: cadmium (Japanese for "it hurts, it hurts", from bone pain).
  3. Black foot disease: arsenic.
  4. Minamata disease: mercury (first seen in Minamata, Japan, from eating polluted fish).
  5. Source: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php

Answer: lead

Example 3 · level 3

Consider the following statements: 1. Byssinosis is caused mainly by cotton dust. 2. Acid rain is caused mainly by sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Show solution
  1. Statement 1 is correct: Byssinosis: cotton dust.
  2. Statement 2 is correct: Acid rain: sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
  3. Source: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php

Answer: Both 1 and 2

My Desk

Private: history and progress stay on this device.

Search by task, life event, format or tool name, in English, हिंदी or Hinglish.