Which one of the following diseases is caused by Cadmium pollution?
- A.Minamata
- B.Itai-itai
- C.Fluorosis
- D.Blue baby syndrome
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Itai-itai. Itai-itai disease is caused by cadmium poisoning and was first reported in Japan.
In the early 20th century, mining waste from upstream released cadmium into the Jinzu river in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Farmers used the water to irrigate rice fields, and cadmium built up in the rice they ate. It damaged their kidneys and made their bones soft and brittle, so they broke easily and caused severe pain; the name means "it hurts, it hurts" in Japanese. It was recognised as Japan's first official pollution disease in 1968.
A is wrong because Minamata disease, also from Japan, is caused by methyl mercury from industrial waste that collected in fish. C is wrong because fluorosis is caused by excess fluoride in drinking water and damages teeth and bones. D is wrong because blue baby syndrome (methaemoglobinaemia) is caused by excess nitrate in drinking water, which reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen.
Exam tip: Cadmium = Itai-itai, mercury = Minamata, fluoride = fluorosis, nitrate = blue baby, arsenic = black foot.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following statements with regard to growth of coral reefs is not correct?
- A.Coral can grow abundantly in freshwater.
- B.It requires warm water between 23 °C-25 °C.
- C.It requires shallow saltwater, not deeper than 50 metres.
- D.It requires plenty of sunlight to aid photosynthesis.
Show answer
Reef-building corals are marine animals and die in fresh water, so this statement is false. Corals are tiny polyps that build skeletons of calcium carbonate and live with algae called zooxanthellae inside their tissues.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following biosphere reserves is spread over three States in India?
- A.Nilgiri
- B.Achanakmar-Amarkantak
- C.Seshachalam
- D.Agasthyamalai
Show answer
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve spreads across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Set up in 1986, Nilgiri was India's first biosphere reserve, and in 2000 it became the first Indian reserve on UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is/are renewable source(s) of energy? 1. Fossil fuel 2. Biofuel 3. Uranium 4. Hydropower Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.2 only
- B.3 and 4
- C.1 and 3
- D.2 and 4
Show answer
Biofuel and hydropower are renewable because nature replaces them within a human lifetime, while fossil fuels and uranium are not.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT decomposed by bacterial action ?
- A.Vegetable remains
- B.Plastic materials
- C.Animal carcasses
- D.Wastes of flowers
Show answer
Ordinary plastics are non-biodegradable, so bacteria and fungi cannot break them down in any useful length of time. Most plastics, such as polyethylene, polypropylene and PVC, are long synthetic polymers made from petroleum.
Read the full explanation →According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which one of the following is the largest source of sulphur dioxide emissions?
- A.Locomotives using fossil fuels
- B.Ships using fossil fuels
- C.Extraction of metals from ores
- D.Power plants using fossil fuels
Show answer
The EPA names the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities as the largest source of sulphur dioxide.
Read the full explanation →