ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank Chapter 16 Waste Management – Impact of Waste Accumulation

Questions Based on Waste Management
Impact of Waste Accumulation

I. Short Answer Questions :

Question 1.
What is meant by the use and throw concept with respect to waste generation?
Answer:
With the use and throw concept, the generation of wastes has increased alarmingly, both in quantity and complexity. One can see heaps of solid wastes accumulated in street comers, around hospitals, school backyards and even near water bodies.

Dumping of solid wastes not only gives an ugly look and foul smell, but also causes serious health hazards. Sometimes, the outbreak of epidemics takes place due to the accumulation of wastes, particularly near water bodies.

Question 2.
What impact does the decomposition of waste in the open areas have on human health?
Answer:
Accumulated solid wastes when left uncared, start decomposing. A number of pathogenic (disease-producing) bacteria, virus and fungi grow from these wastes. Flies, insects, rodents, etc., live in the accumulated waste heaps and carry germs of various diseases to human habitations. Decomposition of wastes produces harmful gases that pollute the air around us.

Question 3.
How do solid wastes affect landscape?
Answer:
Solid waste is simply dumped onto vacant land and left to decompose. Open dumps min the natural beauty of land.

Question 4.
Why are radioactive wastes more hazardous than other wastes?
Answer:
Radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactors and weapon factories cause a potentially serious environmental problem. Radioactive waste, although present in small quantities, remains extremely harmful to human health for many years.

Question 5.
Name the disease caused by mercury contamination in Japan.
Answer:
Minamata Disease.

Question 6.
Why are recycled plastic bags considered harmful for environment?
Answer:
The plastic bags which are extensively used in India are made from recycled plastic. The recycled plastic bags are harmful because the melting of plastic and plastic products breaks some polymer chains into smaller units which are harmful.

II. Structured Questions.

Question 1.
(a) Explain clearly how waste can be reduced by changing the process of production.
Answer:
Change of Process:
By changing a modem method to make the best use of raw materials reduces the waste generation in industries.
In zinc electroplating chlorides are used in the process instead of using the sulphate salt in order to eliminate the production of cyanides.

(b) Explain how reusing waste can reduce the burden of waste disposal.
Answer:
Many waste collectors roam about in residential areas and industrial units to collect the solid waste. They segregate them and supply them to specialised artisans who make utility articles from such material and make a living from their skill. For example, a very beautiful garden has been created by Nek Chand in Chandigarh using waste products like tin cans, bottles, broken pieces of crockery etc. Waste collectors, thus, help in making new production processes. Thus, they reduce the burden of waste disposal.

(c) Give an example of reusing waste effectively.
Answer:
Some solid wastes from the industry can be utilised directly.
Flyash from power plants is used as a cement substitute.

Question 2.
(a) What is acid rain?
Answer:
Burning of coal, fuelwood or petroleum produce sulphur and nitrogen which react with oxygen and are converted into their respective oxides – sulphur oxide and nitrogen dioxide. These oxides react with water vapour present in the atmosphere to form acids like sulphuric acid and nitric acid. These acids precipitate with rain to form acid rain.

(b) What is the effect of acid rain on monuments? Name two monuments affected by acid rain.
Answer:
A chemical reaction occurs between the acid of the acid rain and the buildings. It exerts a pressure on the monument surface leading to corrosion of its body. The gypsum and calcium sulphate are washed away by water causing damaging marks on statues and monuments. Limestone statues are also destroyed naturally because carbonic acid in rainwater converts limestone into bicarbonate which is water soluble and is washed away.

Monuments affected by acid rain are :
Parthenon of Athens, the Colosseum of Rome, the Taj Mahal of Agra is affected by acid rain.

(c) What is known as the Minamata Disease?
Answer:
In 1953 some fishermen fell ill in Minamata and their illness was detected to be caused by consuming fishes caught from the Minamata Bay. Fishing was identified to be the reason for toxicity. The epidemic in Minamata is now known as ‘Minamata Disease’.

(d) Name the gas produced by the decomposition of accumulated waste. Why is this gas harmful?
Answer:
Methane gas is produced by decomposition of the waste, which is highly explosive. So it has to be managed properly to avoid the bad results creating large scale loss and unwanted problems.

Question 3.
(a) Explain how eutrophication affects aquatic life.
Answer:
It in the process of depletion of oxygen from water bodies occurring either naturally or due to human activities. The process of eutrophication takes place due to introduction of nutrients and chemicals through discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents and fertilizers from agricultural field. Algae and phytoplankton use carbon dioxide, inorganic nitrogen and phosphate from the water as food. They serve as food for microscopic animals (zooplankton).

Small fish feed on these zooplanktons and large fish in turns consume these small fish. When nutrients become abundant due to waste accumulation, the growth of phytoplankton and algae increases. Consequently, the penetration of oxygen, light and heat into the waterbody is reduced. This causes death of most of the aquatic organisms, draining water of all its oxygen.

(b) What harm is done by dumping of waste near water bodies?
Answer:
Waste dumped near a water source percolates through the soil into the water bodies and contaminate the water. Direct dumping of untreated waste in rivers, seas and lakes results in the accumulation of toxic substances in the food chain through plants and animals that feed on it (biomagnification).

Choking of drains and gully pits by the solid wastes results in waterlogging, especially during the rainy season.The water logging results in breeding of mosquitoes in the stagnant water which spread diseases like malaria and chickengunia.

(c) What is biomagnification? What can be its effects on humans?
Answer:
The term Biomagnification means increasing the concentration of various toxic substances along the food chain. Toxic substances at the level of primary producers get concentrated at each trophic level as they move up the food chain.

A small amount of toxic constituent which is neither excreted nor metabolised, gets increased as the food chain moves upward from one trophic level to the next and the toxic constituents become concentrated. That lead to gastrointestinal irritation, liver and kidney problems and damage the nervous system.

(d) With the help of a diagram explain the process of biomagnification.
Answer:
ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank Chapter 6 7

ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank

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