Chemistry

Environmental Chemistry

Question:

A factory was started near a village. Suddenly villagers started feeling the presence of irritating vapours in the village and cases of headache, chest pain, cough, dryness of throat and breathing problems increased. Villagers blamed the emissions from the chimney of the factory for such problems. Explain what could have happened. Give chemical reactions for the support of your explanation.

Answer:

The symptoms observed in the villagers show that oxides of nitrogen and sulphur must be coming out of the chimney. This is due to combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, gasoline, etc. to produce high temperatures at which oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen takes place forming NO and N02:
ncert-exemplar-problems-class-11-chemistry-chapter-14-environmental-chemistry-6
S02 is produced due to combustion of sulphur containing coal and fuel oil or roasting of sulphide ores like iron pyrites (FeS2), copper pyrites (CuFeS2), etc.

Cu2S + 02→2Cu + S02

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Environmental Chemistry

Q 1.

Ozone is a toxic gas and is a strong oxidizing agent, even then its presence in the stratosphere is very important. Explain what would happen if ozone from this region is completely removed.

Q 2.

How can domestic waste be used as manure?

Q 3.

Oxidation of sulphur trioxide in the absence of a catalyst is a slow process but this oxidation occurs easily in the atmosphere. Explain how does this happen. Give chemical reactions for the conversion of S02 into S03.

Q 4.

What are the sources of dissolved oxygen in water?

Q 5.

List out the gases which are considered as major source of air pollution.

Q 6.

Why is acid rain considered as threat to Taj Mahal ?

Q 7.

What is PAN stands for?

Q 8.

What is photochemical smog? What are its effects? How can it be controlled?

Q 9.

Acid rain is known to contain some acids. Name these acids. From where do they come in rain?

Q 10.

What would have happened if the greenhouse gases were totally missing in the earth’s atmosphere? Discuss.

Q 11.

Which zone is known as ozonosphere?

Q 12.

Assertion (A): Excessive use of chlorinated synthetic pesticides causes soil and water pollution.
Reason (R): Such pesticides are non-biodegradable.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 13.

Why does water covered with excessive algal growth become polluted?

Q 14.

Assertion (A): The pH of acid rain is less than 5.6.
Reason (R): Carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere dissolves in rain water and forms carbonic acid.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 15.

Assertion (A): Photochemical smog is oxidizing in nature.
Reason (R): Photochemical smog contains N02 and 03, which are formed during the sequence of reactions.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 16.

How carbon monoxide acts as a poison for human beings?

Q 17.

Match the activity given in Column I with the type of pollution created by it given in Column II.

Column I Column II  
Releasing gases to the atmosphere after burning waste material containing Sulphur. 0) Water pollution
Using                     carbamates  as pesticides. (2) Photochemical smog, damage to plant life, corrosion to building material, induce breathing problems, water pollution
Using synthetic detergents for washing clothes. (3) Damaging ozone layer
Releasing gases produced by automobiles and factories in the atmosphere. (4) May cause nerve diseases in human                                                                         .
Using chlorofluorocarbon compounds for cleaning computer parts. (5) Classical smog, acid rain, water pollution, induce breathing problems, damage to buildings, corrosion of metals

 

Q 18.

What are biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants? ,

Q 19.

What is siltation?

Q 20.

Which of the following conditions shows the polluted environment?
(a) pH of rain water is 5.6.
(b) Amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 0.03%.
(c) Biochemical oxygen demand is 10 ppm.
(d) Eutrophication

Q 21.

What are the major causes of water pollution? Explain.

Q 22.

What do you mean by Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)?

Q 23.

What is BOD?

Q 24.

What do you mean by viable and non-viable particulates?

Q 25.

Give three examples in which green chemistry has been applied.

Q 26.

From where does ozone come in the photochemical smog?

Q 27.

Assertion (A): Greenhouse effect was observed in houses used to grow plants and these are made of green glass.
Reason (R): Greenhouse name has been given because glass houses are made of green glass.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 28.

Assertion (A): If BOD level of water in a reservoir is less than 5 ppm it is highly polluted.
Reason (R): High biological oxygen demand means low activity of bacteria in water.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 29.

What are pesticides and herbicides? Explain giving examples.

Q 30.

What is the nature of classical smog?

Q 31.

What is meant by PCBs?

Q 32.

Define environmental chemistry?

Q 33.

Carbon monoxide gas is more dangerous than carbon dioxide gas. Why?

Q 34.

Phosphate containing fertilizers cause water pollution. Addition of such compounds in water bodies causes
(a) enhanced growth of algae
(b) decrease in amount of dissolved oxygen in water
(c) deposition of calcium phosphate
(d) increase in fish population

Q 35.

How is ozone produced in stratosphere?

Q 36.

Assertion (A): Ozone is destroyed by solar radiation in upper stratosphere.
Reason (R): Thinning of the ozone layer allows excessive UV radiations to reach the surface of earth.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) Both A and R are not correct.
(d) A is not correct but R is correct.

Q 37.

Which gases are responsible for greenhouse effect? List some of them.

Q 38.

What is chlorosis?

Q 39.

What could be the harmful effects of improper management of industrial and domestic solid waste in a city?

Q 40.

Match the terms given in Column I with the compounds given in Column

Column 1 Column  II
(a) Acid rain (1) CHC12-CHF2
(b) Photochemical smog (2) CO
(c) Combination with haemoglobin (3) co2
(d) Depletion of ozone layer (4) so2
    (5) Unsaturated hydrocarbons

 

Q 41.

What are the harmful effects of photochemical smog and how can they be controlled? 

Q 42.

What do you mean by ozone hole? What are its consequences?

Q 43.

How are NO and NO2 formed in the atmosphere?

Q 44.

Which main gases is responsible for damage in ozone layer?

Q 45.

What is the composition of London Smog?

Q 46.

What are pesticides ?

Q 47.

Which gas was mainly responsible for Bhopal gas tragedy?  

Q 48.

Match the pollutants given in Column I with their effects given in Column II.

(a) Sulphur dioxide causes classical smog, acid rain, water pollution, induces breathing problems, causes damage to buildings, corrosion of metals.
(b) Using carbamates as pesticides can cause nerve diseases in humans
(c) Using synthetic detergents for washing clothes causes water pollution.
(d) Unsaturated hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides produced by automobiles and factories cause photochemical smog, damage to plant life, corrosion to building material, induce breathing problems, water pollution.
(e) Chlorofluorocarbons are believed to be the main reason for ozone layer depletion.

Column I Column II
(a) Phosphate fertilizers in water (1) BOD level of water increases
(b) Methane in air (2) Acid rain
(c) Synthetic detergents in water (3) Global warming
(d) Nitrogen oxides in air (4) Eutrophication

 

Q 49.

What is smog? How is classical smog different from photochemical smog?

Q 50.

Give one example of organic herbicide.