Waste MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Waste - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - Option 1: A, B and C only

Key Points

• Sun
  • Energy from the sun can be harnessed through solar panels to generate electricity.
  • Solar energy is a renewable and clean source of energy.
• Sea
  • The sea can provide energy through various methods such as tidal power, wave power, and ocean thermal energy conversion.
  • These methods convert the kinetic and thermal energy of the sea into electricity.
• Animal excreta
  • Animal excreta can be used to produce biogas through a process known as anaerobic digestion.
  • Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, which can be used as a fuel.

Additional Information

• Soil
  • Soil itself is not a direct source of energy. However, it can support plant growth, which can be used as biomass for energy production.
• Renewable Energy Sources
  • Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy.
  • These sources are considered sustainable as they are naturally replenished.
• Non-renewable Energy Sources
  • Non-renewable energy sources include coal, oil, and natural gas.
  • These sources are finite and can lead to environmental pollution.

The correct answer is - (A), (C) and (D) Only

Key Points

• Landfills
  • Landfills are major sources of methane due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste material.
• Wetlands
  • Wetlands produce methane through microbial processes in waterlogged, anaerobic conditions.
• Paddy fields
  • Waterlogged conditions in paddy fields lead to anaerobic decomposition of organic matter, releasing methane.

Additional Information

• Global Methane Emissions
  • Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide (CO₂).
  • Human activities such as agriculture, waste management, and fossil fuel extraction contribute significantly to global methane emissions.
• Natural Methane Sources
  • Natural sources include wetlands, termites, and oceans, which contribute to the natural methane cycle.
• Mitigation Strategies
  • Strategies to reduce methane emissions include improved waste management practices, changes in agricultural practices, and capturing methane from landfills and other sources.

Biomagnification,

• It is also known as bio-amplification or biological magnification. 
• It is any concentration of a toxin, such as pesticides, in the tissues of tolerant organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.
• Biomagnification refers to the condition where the chemical concentration in an organism exceeds the concentration of its food when the major exposure route occurs from the organism’s diet.
• The term food web biomagnification is used to describe trophic enrichment of contaminants within food webs and refers to the progressive increase in chemical concentrations with increasing animal trophic status. 
• 

The correct answer is - (A), (C) and (E) only.

Key PointsReduced Toxicity :

• This is directly related to source reduction in integrated solid waste management.
• By reducing the toxicity of products at the source, the amount of hazardous waste that needs to be managed, treated, or disposed of is significantly reduced.
• Hence, Reduced Toxicity is correct.

Composting :

• While composting is an important component of integrated solid waste management, it is more related to the treatment and recycling of organic waste rather than source reduction.
• Composting does not reduce the generation of waste at the source but rather manages waste that has already been generated.
• Hence,Composting is incorrect.

Less Packaging :

• This is a key aspect of source reduction.
• By minimizing packaging, the amount of waste generated is reduced at the source, leading to less material needing management, recycling, or disposal.
• This directly contributes to the goals of source reduction in integrated solid waste management.
• Hence, Less Packaging is correct.

Landfill :

• Landfills are a method of waste disposal and do not contribute to source reduction.
• Source reduction aims to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated before it reaches the disposal stage.
• Hence, Landfill is incorrect.

More Durable Products :

• Creating more durable products is a fundamental strategy for source reduction.
• Durable products have a longer lifespan, which reduces the frequency of disposal and, consequently, the overall volume of waste generated.
• This aligns with the goals of source reduction in integrated solid waste management.
• Hence,More Durable Products is correct.

Based on the analysis above, the options related to 'source reduction' in integrated solid waste management are:

• Reduced Toxicity (A)
• Less Packaging (C)
• More Durable Products (E)

The correct answer is - A, B, C, D and E.

Key PointsTo qualify as hazardous waste, a waste must have the following characteristics:

Ignitability -

• This characteristic refers to wastes that can easily catch fire under certain conditions.
• These include liquids with a flash point of less than 60 degrees Celsius, non-liquids that can cause fire through specific conditions, ignitable compressed gases, and oxidizers. 

Corrosivity -

• Corrosive wastes are acids or bases that have the potential to corrode metal containers, such as steel drums.
• These are typically identified by a pH less than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 12.5.
• They can damage and destroy living tissues upon contact. 

Reactivity -

• Reactive wastes are unstable under "normal" conditions.
• They can cause explosions, toxic fumes, gases, or vapors when mixed with water or under other conditions such as heat or pressure.
• This characteristic identifies wastes that can readily explode or undergo violent reactions.

Toxicity -

• Toxic wastes are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed.
• When toxic wastes are disposed of on land, they can contaminate the ground water and pose serious health risks to humans and the environment.
• Toxicity is determined by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), which simulates landfill conditions. 

Radioactivity -

• Radioactivity is a dangerous characteristic of certain wastes, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs hazardous waste in the United States, radioactivity alone does not qualify a waste as hazardous.
• However, wastes that are both radioactive and exhibit one or more of the other characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity) may be classified as mixed waste and thus be subject to regulation as hazardous waste.

The correct answer is Composting.

• The definition of compost means to mix vegetables and other organic waste together and to let them decompose.
• Compost is a mixture of organic residues (manure, animal carcasses, straw, etc.) that have been piled, mixed, and moistened to undergo thermophilic (high heat 113 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit) decomposition.
  • This publication pertains to composting animal manures.
• Compost, manure, and fertilizer are materials that enrich the soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and other nutrients.

Important Points

Nuclear energy is one of the ways of producing electricity. It is generated by splitting atoms to release the energy held at the core, or nucleus, of those atoms. But however useful the nuclear energy might be, the nuclear waste generated by it surpasses its benefits.

Key Points

Nuclear Waste Disposal:

• Nuclear waste is dangerous for thousands of years and requires long-term solutions that shield it from human and other living things.
• Most nuclear waste comes from nuclear power plants as well as the residuals of radioactive materials used by industry, medicine, agriculture, etc.
• Their potential hazard of nuclear waste makes its disposal difficult. The choice of waste treatment is influenced by its radioactivity level and decay time.
• Nuclear decay releases smaller particles - protons, neutrons and electrons - that can tear through tissue and damage genetic material, leading to cancers and birth defects.
• Because of these adverse effects, nuclear waste must be treated carefully. Low-level waste (such as tools that have been contaminated with radiation) emits very low levels of radiation that are on par with the radiation we absorb daily from the sun.
• High-level waste such as spent nuclear fuel and its byproducts are searing hot and requires years of cooling plus thick metal shielding to prevent radioactivity release.
• One of the most promising nuclear waster disposal methods is geological formations or underground salt deposits/mines that will act as a barrier by providing needed isolation as water cannot pass through these deposits and thus releasing hazardous chemicals into human contact.
• Salt formations exhibit low porosity and are impenetrable to gases and liquids. Therefore, a natural geologic barrier function is guaranteed over very long periods in a salt mine.

NOTE:

Forests, oceans and deserts are ecosystems that have a sensitive natural balance and cannot be disturbed with radioactive nuclear wastes that can cause long-term adverse effects.

Hence, it is obvious from the given points that salt mines are better suited for the dumping of nuclear waste.

• Solid waste means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility.
• It refers to other discarded materials including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural operations, and from community activities.

Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:

1. Household waste
2. Industrial waste
3. Biomedical waste or hospital waste

​

Hazardous waste

• Industrial and hospital waste is considered hazardous as it may contain toxic substances.
• Certain types of household waste are also hazardous.
• Hazardous wastes could be highly toxic to humans, animals, and plants; are corrosive, highly inflammable, or explosive; and react when exposed to certain things e.g. gases.

Hospital solid waste:

• Hospital waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities in these fields or in the production or testing of biologicals.
• It may include wastes like sharps, soiled waste, disposables, anatomical waste, cultures, discarded medicines, chemical wastes, etc.
• These are in the form of disposable syringes, swabs, bandages, body fluids, human excreta, etc.
• This waste is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to human health if not managed in a scientific and discriminate manner.

Hence, solid waste from the hospital is classified as Hazardous.

Sewage sludge:

• Sludge is a residual, semi-solid by-product left from industrial or refining processes.
• It is a separated solid suspended in a liquid, typically containing major quantities of interstitial water between its solid particles. 
• This material can be dried to cut its volume and reduce most of the moisture content of the biosolids present in the sludge.

Key Points

• Dried or treated sludge offers a wide range of applications, mainly including agricultural land application.
• When the drying is completed to produce biosolids, these biosolids act as a fertilizer for crop harvesting.
• Calcium, the organic nitrogen and phosphorous found in biosolids are used quite efficiently by crops as these plant nutrients are released slowly throughout the growing season.
• This allows the crop to absorb these nutrients as the crop grows. 
• Calcium is typically the most abundant in dried sewage sludge.

Important PointsChemical composition of dried sewage sludge:

 Mistake Points

• Fresh sewage consists of a higher per cent of total nitrogen and phosphorus but during the treatment process, these nutrients are removed from the sewage using various biological and chemical processes.
• This is done to remove the nutritional load in the sewage before disposal into a water body to avoid algal growth.
• More, importantly we must consider that the question is asked for dried sewage sludge (DSS) and not fresh sewage.

Therefore, Calcium is the correct answer.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e Assam.

• In the fourth week of June 2015, the agreement on waste management was signed between two entrepreneurs and several civic bodies in Assam.
• The main objective of the project is to reduce the hazards and pollution created by the huge amount of increasing municipality solid waste.

Facts:

• Assam:
  • Sarbananda Sonowal is the current CM of Assam.
  • Jagdish Mukhi is the current governor of Assam.
  • ​Dispur is the capital of Assam.
• Maharashtra:
  • Mumbai is the capital city of Maharashtra.
  • The Gateway of India is the most famous monument and Iconic landmark located in Mumbai.
  • Uddhav Thackeray is the current CM of Maharashtra.
  • Bhagat Singh Koshyari is the governor of Maharashtra.
• Gujarat:
  • Gandhinagar is the capital city of Gujarat.
  • It has the longest Coastline in India.
  • Acharya Devvrat is the current Governor of the state.
  • Vijay Rupani is the current Chief Minister of the state.
• Kerala:
  • Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala.
  • Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple is located in Thiruvananthapuram
  • Shri. Pinarayi Vijayan is the CM of Kerala.
  • Arif Mohammad Khan is the governor of Kerala.

Our trash, or municipal solid waste (MSW), is made up of the things we commonly use and then throw away. These materials range from packaging, food scraps, and grass clippings, to old sofas, computers, tires, and refrigerators. MSW does not include industrial, hazardous, or construction waste.

Key Points

• Municipal solid waste (MSW), is commonly known as trash or garbage.
• Generation rates for MSW vary from city to city and from season to season and have a strong correlation with levels of economic development and activity.

The correct sequence of municipal solid waste in order of their increasing abundance is E, C, D, A, B

Additional InformationWaste can be classified in several ways, but the following list represents a typical classification:

• Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (most can be recycled, although some difficult to compost plant material may be excluded[6])
• Recyclable materials: paper, cardboard, glass, bottles, jars, tin cans, aluminum cans, aluminum foil, metals, certain plastics, textiles, clothing, tires, batteries, etc.
• Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris
• Electrical and electronic waste (WEEE):  electrical appliances, light bulbs, washing machines, TVs, computers, screens, mobile phones, alarm clocks, watches, etc.
• Composite wastes: waste clothing, Tetra Pack food and drink cartons, waste plastics such as toys and plastic garden furniture
• Hazardous waste includes most paints, chemicals, tires, batteries, light bulbs, electrical appliances, fluorescent lamps, aerosol spray cans, and fertilizers
• Toxic waste including pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
• Biomedical waste expired pharmaceutical drugs, etc.

The correct answer is Recycling.

• Recycling is the best way to get rid of non-biodegradable waste.
• Burying will not have any effect on the non-biodegradable wastes.

Additional Information

• Non-biodegradable waste is that type of waste product is which is not completely decomposed by any process or any living organism. Examples are plastic, polythene.
• Burning them releases carbon monoxide which is toxic, so burning cannot be used.
• Recycling is the best process of waste management by which we can reuse these wastes.
• Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste that can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane, or simple organic molecules by micro-organisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, or similar processes.

Important Points

• Waste management also includes some inorganic materials which can be decomposed by bacteria. Such materials include gypsum and its products such as plasterboard and other simple organic sulfates which can decompose to yield hydrogen sulfide in anaerobic landfill conditions.
• A Non-Biodegradable material can be defined as a kind of substance that cannot be broken down by natural organisms and acts as a source of pollution. Unlike biodegradable wastes, non-biodegradable cannot be easily handled. Non-biodegradable wastes are those that cannot be decomposed or dissolved by natural agents.
• An example of Non-Biodegradable material is Metals, Electronic components, Medical waste, Glass, Most Plastics etc.

Composting is one of the options for treatment of solid waste. In the composting process, the organic matter breaks down under bacterial action resulting in the formation of humus like material called compost. Biodegradable solid waste can be composted either in compost pit or in a vermicompost pit.

1. Composting (Manure Pit):

• It is carried out in a simple manure pit or garbage pit (lined or unlined).
• The average time it takes to complete the pit composting process is 3-6months.
• It is a compact and tidy way to help organic waste to decompose and enrich the soil. A compost pit is also called trench composting.

2. Vermicomposting: It involves the use of earthworms for composting organic solid waste. It is a resourceful way to recycle your food waste into compost. It takes about 2-3 months.
3. Waste Converter Machines: By using waste converter machines, the composting process can be done in very less time. The semi-Automatic waste composting machine converts any kind of organic waste into compost within 12-15 days and an Automatic waste converter machine takes only 1-3 days in the composting process.

Concept:

Hazardous waste: Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.

Characteristics: Hazardous wastes are the materials that are known or tested to exhibit one or more of the following hazardous traits:

• Ignitability
• Corrosivity
• Reactivity
• Toxicity

The most common methods for disposing of hazardous waste are:

• Land disposal
• Incineration

If there is abundant land is available for the disposal of waste, land disposal is used. If there is no abundant land is available for disposal of waste, incineration is used.

Municipal Solid Waste:

• It may be defined as the organic and inorganic waste materials produced by various activities of the society, normally discarded as useless or unwanted.
• This garbage is generated mainly from residential and commercial complexes.
• It includes waste from households, hazardous solid waste from industrial and commercial establishments, waste from institutions, market waste, yard waste, and street sweeping.

Landfill:

• The most common, environmentally, and economically acceptable method of disposal of solid waste.
• It is used in urban areas where a large amount of waste is generated.
• It is a pit that is dug in the ground and covered after dumping the garbage, thus preventing the breeding of flies and rats.

Pulverization:

• In this method, collected solid waste is powdered by grinding machines, thereby changing its volume and physical characteristics.
• This pulverized solid waste is further disposed off by landfilling.

Composting:

• It a biological process in which the organic portion of waste is allowed to decompose under carefully controlled conditions.
• After composting, the material is converted into manure/compost which is rich in nutrients and is used as a soil conditioner in agricultural fields.
• It is an inexpensive process of disposal which helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions emitted from landfill and enhances related recycling and incineration activities.

Shredding: 

• It is the process of size reduction of solid waste materials.

Hence, it can be concluded that composting is a biological method of disposal of Municipal Solid Waste.

Other Disposal methods of Municipal Solid Waste:

Incineration:

• It is the process of burning waste in large furnaces.
• In these plants, the recyclable material is segregated and the rest of the material is burnt.
• At the end of the process, all that is left behind is ash.

Recycling:

• It refers to the removal of items from the waste stream to be used as raw materials in the manufacture of new products.