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Environment & EcologyEasyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper I

Leakage of which one of the following gases had caused Bhopal Gas Tragedy in the year 1984 ?

  1. A.Methyl isocyanate
  2. B.Hexamethylene diisocyanate
  3. C.Isophorone diisocyanate
  4. D.Isothiocyanate

Correct answer

A. Methyl isocyanate

Explanation

The correct answer is A, Methyl isocyanate. On the night of 2-3 December 1984, methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal.

Union Carbide India Limited used methyl isocyanate to make the pesticide carbaryl, sold as Sevin. Water entered a storage tank holding about 40 tonnes of MIC, setting off a violent reaction that released a dense, poisonous cloud over the sleeping city. Thousands of people died within days, and lakhs suffered lasting damage to their lungs, eyes and other organs. It is counted among the worst industrial disasters in the world. The tragedy led to the Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and later shaped the principle of absolute liability.

B is wrong: hexamethylene diisocyanate is used in paints and coatings and was not involved.

C is wrong: isophorone diisocyanate is another industrial chemical for coatings, not the Bhopal gas.

D is wrong: isothiocyanates are sulphur compounds, such as those that give mustard its sharp taste.

Exam tip: Bhopal 1984 = methyl isocyanate (MIC), Union Carbide; led to the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Practice Questions

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Q2.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IEasy

Which of the following diseases are caused by the consumption of water contaminated by mercury and nitrate ?

  1. A.Minamata disease and Osteoporosis
  2. B.Osteoporosis and Blue Baby Syndrome
  3. C.Minamata disease and Blue Baby Syndrome
  4. D.Osteoporosis and Minamata disease
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Minamata disease and Blue Baby Syndrome

Mercury in water causes Minamata disease, and excess nitrate causes blue baby syndrome.

Q3.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2021, Paper IMedium

Where is Asan Conservation Reserve located?

  1. A.Himachal Pradesh
  2. B.Uttarakhand
  3. C.Sikkim
  4. D.Arunachal Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Uttarakhand

The Asan Conservation Reserve lies in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand. The reserve is a stretch of the Asan river near its meeting with the Yamuna, where a barrage built in 1967 created a wetland.

Q4.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2016, GKMedium

Excessive use of which of the following fertilizers may be responsible for the presence of a toxic substance in groundwater?

  1. A.Nitrogen
  2. B.Phosphate only
  3. C.Potassium only
  4. D.Phosphate and potassium
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Nitrogen

Excess nitrogen fertilizer turns into nitrate, which dissolves easily, seeps down through the soil and contaminates groundwater. Urea and other nitrogen fertilizers are converted by soil bacteria into nitrate ions.

Q5.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2022, GKEasy

Which one of the following is the main reason of acid rains ?

  1. A.Dissolution of sulphur and nitrogen oxides in rain
  2. B.Dissolution of minerals in rain
  3. C.Dissolution of dust particles in rain
  4. D.Dissolution of soil solution in rain
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Dissolution of sulphur and nitrogen oxides in rain

These gases react with water in the air to form sulphuric and nitric acids, which fall as acid rain. Sulphur dioxide comes mainly from burning coal and oil in power plants and smelters, and nitrogen oxides from vehicle engines and high-temperature furnaces.