Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

1 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

QUESTION BANK

VALLIAMMAI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Department of EIE

GE6351- Environmental Science and Engineering

Unit – I Environment, Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Part – A (2 marks)

1. Define Environmental Science.

Environmental science is a multidisciplinary academic field that integrates physical,

biological and information sciences (including but not limited to ecology, biology, physics,

chemistry, zoology, mineralogy, oceanology, limnology, soil science, geology, atmospheric

science, geography and geodesy) to the study of the environment, and the solution of

environmental problems.

2. State the environmental effects of extracting & using mineral resources.

Air pollution with dust and gases due to drilling, blasting, mine haulage and

transportation by road, and also from waste heaps.

Water pollution when atomic elements and other harmful elements are present in the

ore/mineral mine effluents.

Modifying water regimes such as surface flow, groundwater availability and lowering

down of water table.

Soil erosion, soil modification with dust and salt.

Noise and vibration problem in the mine and adjoining habitat including wild life.

Alteration of the landform.

3. State the need for public awareness for solving environmental problems.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Reo de Janeiro in

1992 (popularly known as ‘Earth Summit’) and world summit on sustainable development at

Johannesburg in 2002, have highlighted the key issues of global environmental concern. They

have attracted the attention of people. Any government at its own cannot achieve the goals of

clear environment until the public participate in action. Public participation is possible only

when the public is aware about the ecological and environmental issues. Eg. Ban- the littering

of polythene.

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

2 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

5. What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is

the energy that determines the temperature of matter. The geothermal energy of the Earth's

crust originates from the original formation of the planet (20%) and from radioactive decay of

materials (80%).

6. State any two problems caused by the construction of dams.

The loss of forests and wildlife habitat and the degradation of upstream catchment

areas due to inundation of the reservoir area.

The loss of aquatic biodiversity, of upstream and downstream fisheries and of the

services of downstream floodplains, wetlands, and riverine, estuarine and adjacent marine

ecosystems.

7. What are the advantages of conjunctive uses of water?

Control of water logging.

Use of saline water for cooling purpose.

Control of salt intrusion in coastal aquifers.

8. Define environmental impact statement.

It’s the effect on the natural environment caused by various human actions. It describes the

environmental effects and solutions.

9. What is soil fertility?

Soil fertility refers to the ability of a soil related to plants its ease of tillage, fitness of

seedbed, and impedance to seedling emergence and root penetration by providing nutrients

and suitable soil structure to support the plants/trees growth.

10. Explain soil leaching.

As the water steeps down it dissolves various minerals and other organic matter in upper

layer and carries them to lower layers in a process called leaching.

11. Define desertification.

Desertification is a form of land degradation occurring particularly, but not exclusively, in

arid, semi-arid and sub-humid areas due to anthropogenic activities. It is the conversion of

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

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range land, rain fed crop land or irrigated land into a desert like land with drop in agricultural

productivity of 10% or more.

12. Define Overgrazing. What are the effects of overgrazing?

Destruction of vegetation when too many grazing animals feed too long and exceed the

carrying capacity of range land or pasture areas.

Effects of overgrazing:

Can cause desertification.

It also exposes soil to erosion by water and wind.

13. Distinguish between water logging & Salinity.

water logging Salinity

Saturation of soil with irrigation water or

excessive precipitation so that water table

rise close to surface.

Amount of various salts dissolved in a given

volume of water.

14. Differentiate between Food Chain and Food Web?

Food chain Food web

Series of organism in which each eats or

decomposes the preceding one.

Complex network of many interconnected

food chain and food relationship.

15. What are Ecological Pyramids? Give examples.

In a food chain the number of individuals decrease at each tropic level with huge number of

tiny individuals at the base and a few large individuals at the top. This formation is known as

ecological pyramid.

16. What are hotspots of biodiversity?

The most remarkable and threatened areas, many of them have been reduced to less than 10%

of their original vegetation. These areas are called hotspots of biodiversity.

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

4 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

17. What are the aesthetic values of biodiversity?

Aesthetic value is a non-use value. Many people appreciates a tree, forest, and wild species,

or a vista because of its beauty (Instrumental value).

18. What is biodiversity and its significance?

Biodiversity is the abbreviated word for “biological diversity” (bio-life or living organisms,

diversity-variety). Thus biodiversity is the total variety of life on our planet, the total number

of races, varieties and species. The sum of total of various types of microbes, plants and

animals (producers, consumers and decomposers) in a system.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Biosphere is a life supporting system to the human race. Each species in the biosphere has its

own significance. It is the combination of different organisms that enables the biosphere to

sustain human race. Biodiversity is vital for a healthy biosphere. Biodiversity is must for the

stability and proper functioning of the biosphere.

19. Define Species & Genetic diversity.

Species diversity is measured in relation to a given area. It can be assessed in terms of the

number of speies or the range of different types of species an area contains.

Genetic diversity refers to the variation of genes within species. This covers genetic variation

between distinct populations of the same species.

20. What is an Abiotic environment?

The environment consisting of non-living components is called abiotic environment. These

abiotic components enter the body of living organisms directly or indirectly, take part in

metabolic activities and return to the environment.

QUESTION BANK

Part – B (16 marks)

1. Explain Renewable & non-Renewable energy resources with examples. (16)

2. (a) Compare nuclear power with coal. (6)

(b) Write a note on energy conservation. (4)

(c) What is Solar Space heating? Explain (6)

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5 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

3. a) Write briefly on any four alternate source of energy (8)

b) Explain effects of construction of dam on tribal people (8)

4. (a) Write the effects of extracting and using mineral resources. (4)

(b) Explain the scope & importance of Environment. (8)

(c) Enumerate the benefits & draw backs of building of dams. (4)

5. Explain in detail about role of an individual in conservation of natural resources and also

about equitable usage of resources.

6. Explain in detail about (i) World food problem. (ii) Over utilization of water.

7. (a) What is an ecosystem? Describe the structure & function of various components of an

ecosystem. (10) (b) Explain the various threats to biodiversity. (6)

8. (a) Define Ecological pyramids and explain different types of ecological pyramids. (6) (b)

Describe the types, characteristics features, structure& function of i). Forest ecosystem ii).

Aquatic ecosystem (10)

9. Write briefly on 1. Ecological succession 2. Energy flow through an ecosystem 3. Hot

spots of biodiversity (4+4+8)

10. (a) What is the biodiversity what are the reasons for decline for biodiversity (10) (b)

Write short notes on: (1) Producers (2) Consumers (3) Decomposers (3 X 2 = 6)

Unit-2 Environmental Pollution

Part-A

1. Define Pollution. Name any four air pollutants, and their sources and impacts.

The unfavorable alteration of our surroundings is called pollution.

Carbon monoxide-caused by burning of fossil fuels- increases the global temperature.

Nitrogen dioxide-caused by industrial power plants, fossil fuel burning-damage trees, soils

and aquatic life in lakes.

Sulphur dioxide-caused by coal burning in power plants and industrial processes-creates

health problem to people, breathing problems, reduce visibility, damage trees, soils and

aquatic life in lakes.

Suspended particulate matter-burning coal in power and industrial plants, burning diesel,

agriculture, unpaved roads, construction- reduce visibility, damage trees, soils and aquatic

life in lakes.

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2. What are the types of Air pollutants?

Primary air pollutants (CO, NO, SO2)

Secondary air pollutants

3. What is suspended particulate matter? Give example.

Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) is a complex mixture of small and large particles with

size less than 100u varying origin and chemical composition.

4. How will you control air pollution?

The control technologies differ depending on whether the substance is a particulate and then

on whether it’s a coarse or fine particulate. Some of the technologies are Settling chamber,

cyclone separator, fabric filter, electrostatic precipitator, wet collector.

5. What is meant by point and nonpoint sources?

Point sources are discharged pollutants at specific locations through pipes, ditches or sewers

into bodies of surface water whereas nonpoint source cannot be traced to any single site of

discharge. They are usually large land areas or air shields that pollute water by runoff,

subsurface flow or deposition from the atmosphere.

6. What is bioaccumulation?

It refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an

organism. It occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at

which the substance is lost.

7. Define BOD and COD.

BOD is the amount of oxygen required for the biological decomposition of organic matter

present in the water.

COD is the amount of oxygen required for chemical oxidation of organic matter using some

oxidizing agent like KMnO4

8. What are the sources effects of marine pollution?

Dumping the wastes – Marine birds ingest plastic which causes gastro-intestinal disorders.

Oil – damage to marine fauna and flora, retard the rate of O2 uptake by water.

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7 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

9. What are the control methods of thermal pollution?

Cooling towers, cooling ponds, spray ponds, artificial lakes.

10. What are the sources of urban and industrial wastes?

Domestic – cloth, waste papers.

Industrial – nuclear and thermal power plants.

11. Why do earth quake occur.

Underground nuclear testing, volcanic eruption, Pressure of manmade dams, reservoir and

lakes, movements of plates of earth

12. What are Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW)

Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (can also be

recycled).

Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, certain plastics, fabrics,

clothes, batteries etc.

Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris.

Electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) - electrical appliances, TVs, computers,

screens, etc.

Composite wastes: waste clothing, Tetra Packs, waste plastics such as toys.

13. What is composting.

It’s one of the solid waste management technique in which bulk organic waste are converted

into a fertilizing manure by biological action.

14. What are incinerators?

Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances

contained in waste materials.[1] Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment

systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the

waste into ash, flue gas, and heat. The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of

the waste, and may take the form of solid lumps or particulates carried by the flue gas. The

flue gases must be cleaned of gaseous and particulate pollutants before they are dispersed into

the atmosphere. In some cases, the heat generated by incineration can be used to generate

electric power

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8 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

15. Explain aerobic and anaerobic oxidation.

Water pollutants is oxygen depleting wastes. These are organic wastes that can be

decomposed by aerobic (oxygen requiring) bacteria. Large populations of bacteria use up the

oxygen present in water to degrade these wastes. In the process this degrades water quality.

The amount of oxygen required to break down a certain amount of organic matter is called

the biological oxygen demand (BOD). The amount of BOD in the water is an indicator of the

level of pollution. If too much organic matter is added to the water all the available oxygen is

used up. This causes fish and other forms of oxygen dependent aquatic life to die. Thus

anaerobic bacteria (those that do not require oxygen) begin to break down the wastes. Their

anaerobic respiration produces chemicals that have a foul odour and an unpleasant taste that

is harmful to human health.

16. Explain disaster management briefly.

Disaster management is the technique adopted to safeguard people and other living organisms

from natural calamities or disaster, hazards.

17. What are point and non-point sources of water pollution?

Point source Ex: flow of water pollutants from sewerage system, industrial effluent etc.

Non-point source Ex: agricultural land (pesticides, fertilizers, mining, construction sites)

18. Define photochemical smog.

It is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the

atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone. This noxious mixture of

air pollutants can include the following:

Aldehydes

Nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide

Peroxyacyl nitrates

Tropospheric ozone

Volatile organic compounds

All of these harsh chemicals are usually highly reactive and oxidizing. Photochemical smog

is therefore considered to be a problem of modern industrialization. It is present in all modern

cities, but it is more common in cities with sunny, warm, dry climates and a large number of

motor vehicles.

19. Mention the effects of ozone on plants.

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9 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

Damage to plants, certain varieties of vegetation including rice and soya crops. Causes rotting

of fruits and vegetables.

20. List the sources of Marine pollution.

Dumping the wastes,

Oil pollution of marine water.

Part- B

1. Briefly describe the sources effects and control of noise pollution.

2. Write short notes on a) Minimata disease b) blue baby syndrome c) itai-itai disease.

3. Explain in detail the Solid waste management techniques.

4. Write notes on (i) Floods (ii) Landslides (iii) Cyclones.

5. Explain the various types of Radio-active radiations.

6. What are the effects of improper municipal solid waste management? State

the measures recommended for proper management of the solid waste.

7. Explain the methods of disposal of municipal solid waste.

8. Compare the nuclear power with coal power.

9. What are the causes of soil erosion and methods of preventing it.

10. Discuss the aspects of prevention & control of noise.

Unit-3 Natural Resources

Part – A

1. Enumerate the effects of mining on the environment.

Causes deforestation, results in soil, water, and air pollution.

Destruction of natural habitat at the mine and waste disposal sites.

Vibration created during mining leads to earthquake.

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10 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

2. What are Dams? How is it useful to human beings?

Dams are massive artificial structures built across the river to create a reservoir in order to

store water for many beneficial purpose. Uses: it control

floods thereby preventing loss of lives. It’s used for drinking and agricultural purposes. Dams

are built for generating electricity.

3. Define under-nutrition & mal-nutrition.

Malnutrition refers to insufficient, excessive, or imbalanced consumption of nutrients by an

organism. In developed countries, the diseases of malnutrition are most often associated with

nutritional imbalances or excessive consumption.

Under nutrition is defined as the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious

diseases. It includes being underweight for one’s age, too short for one’s age (stunted),

dangerously thin for one’s height (wasted) and deficient in vitamins and minerals

(micronutrient malnutrition).

4. Why alternate energy resources are required?

Conventional energy resources are depleting at faster rate and many of the energy sources are

obtained in the form of fossil fuels causes pollution to the environment. Hence alternate

energy sources are essential.

5. Write a note on Geo-Thermal energy.

Temperature of the earth increases at a rate of 20-750C per km, when we move down

the earth surface.

High temperature and high pressure steam fields exists below the earth’s surface in

many places.

The energy harnessed from the high temperature present inside the earth is called

geothermal energy.

6. Differentiate between renewable & non-renewable energy resources.

Sl. No. Renewable energy resources. Non-renewable energy resources.

1 It is regenerated continuously Cannot be regenerated

2 In exhaustible. Exhausted.

3 It can be used again and again Cannot be used again.

4 It is pollution free. It pollutes the atmosphere.

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11 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

5 Available in limited amount in nature

Available in unlimited amount in nature.

6 Example: Wood, Solar energy, Wind

energy.

Example: Coal, petroleum, Nuclear fuel.

7. Mention the advantages & disadvantages of modern agriculture.

Impacts related to high yielding verities (HYV): The uses of HYVs encourage monoculture

i.e. the same genotype is grown over vast areas. In case of an attack by some pathogen, there

is total devastation of the crop by the disease due to exactly uniform conditions, which help

in rapid spread of the disease.

8. What is an aquifer? Mention its types.

Porous, water-bearing layers of sand, gravel and rock below the earth’s surface, reservoirs for

groundwater.

9. What are super-pests?

Creating resistance in pests and producing new pests: About 20 species of pests are now

known which have become immune to all types of pesticides and are known as "Super pests”

10. Define Eutrophication.

A large proportion of N and P fertilizers used in crop fields is washed off by the runoff water

and reaches the water bodies causing over nourishment of the lakes. The process of

accumulation of nutrients in the water bodies is called eutrophication

11. What is biological magnification?

Biological magnification: Many of the pesticides are non-biodegradable and keep on

accumulating in the food chain, a process called biological magnification. This is very

harmful.

12. What is organic farming?

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green

manure, compost, and biological pest control. Depending on whose definition is used, organic

farming uses fertilizers and pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides)

if they are considered natural (such as bone meal from animals or pyrethrin from flowers),

but it excludes or strictly limits the use of various methods (including synthetic petrochemical

fertilizers and pesticides; plant growth regulators such as hormones; antibiotic use in

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livestock; genetically modified organisms; human sewage sludge; and nanomaterials.) for

reasons including sustainability, openness, independence, health, and safety.

13. What is meant by sustainable development?

Meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations, to

meet their own needs.

14. Mention the effects of ground water usage?

Subsidence: When ground water withdrawal is more than its recharge rate, the sediments in

the aquifer (a layer of rock that is highly permeable and contains water) get compacted, a

phenomenon knows as ground subsidence. It results in sinking of overlying land surface.

Due to this structural damage in buildings, fracture in pipes etc., occurs.

Lowering of water table: Mining of groundwater is done extensively for irrigating crop

fields. However, excessive mining would cause lowering of water table.

Water logging: When excessive irrigation is done with brackish water it raises the water

table gradually leading to water-logging and salinity problems.

15. What are the types of minerals?

The types of minerals are Metals and non metals

16. What is carrying capacity?

Carrying capacity (K) is maximum size population that can be supported by

environment year after year.

17. Define sustainabe forestry.

Sustainable forestry is the optimum use of forest resources, which meet the needs of the

present without compressing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

18. What is water logging?

Water logging is the land where water stand for most of the year.

19. What is salinization?

oil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt content is known as

salinization.[1] Salt is a natural element of soils and water. Salination can be caused by

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natural processes such as mineral weathering or the gradual withdrawal of an ocean. It can

also be caused by artificial processes such as irrigation.

20. Define landslide.

The movement of earthy materials like coherent rock, mud, soil and debris from higher

region to lower region due to gravitational pull is called landslides.

Part – B

1. What are conventional energy resources? Discuss about solar energy and Ocean thermal

energy.

2. What are the uses and over-exploitation of water? Explain with a case-study.

3. What are the environmental impacts of mineral extraction? Explain.

4. Write short notes of (i) Tidal energy (ii) Bio-gas (iii) Nuclear energy.

5. Explain the various types of land degradation.

6. Explain as an individual how you will conserve natural resources.

7. How will you achieve sustainable life-style by equitable share of resources.

8. What are the measures recommended for conservation of natural resources.

9. Explain briefly the various methods of harvesting solar energy.

10. Explain in detail the effects due to pesticides usage in moderns agriculture.

Unit-4 Social Issues and the Environment

Part – A

1. Define Sustainable development.

Sustainable development means all the natural resources must be available for present

generation and future generation also. It is the relationship between human beings and

resources they depend on for all their developmental activities

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2. Write a note on Earth Summit – 1992.

The discussion on sustainable development was held in 1992 in the UN Conference on

Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Several documents were created,

which potrays that environment and development were closely connected and there was a

need to care for the earth. The Rio declaration also states that a new and equitable global

partnership through the creation of new levels of cooperation among states.

3. Bring out the important aspects of sustainable development.

The three important components of sustainable development are

i. Economic development (like industrial development, creating job

opportunities, utilization of natural resources for developing the quality of

life)

ii. Community development (providing food, shelter, cloth, education, and other

essentials for the human beings).

iii. Environmental protection (providing clear air, water and environment for the

present and future generations and utilization of resources in a sustainable manner).

4. Write a note on 3R principle.

It insists optimum use of natural resources, using it again and again instead of throwing it on

the waste land or water and recycling the material into further products. It reduces pressure

on our natural resources and reduces waste generation and pollution.

5. Define Rain Water Harvesting.

It is a system of catching rainwater where it falls. In rooftop harvesting, the roof

becomes the catchments, and the rainwater is collected from the roof of the house/building. It

can either be stored in a tank or diverted to artificial recharge system. This method is less

expensive and very effective and if implemented properly helps in augmenting the ground

water level of the area.

6. What are the objectives (or) principles of watershed management?

Watershed management is a process aimed at protecting and restoring the habitat and water

resources of a watershed, incorporating the needs of multiple stakeholders.

7. Write a note on agro-forestry.

Agroforestry help to prevent soil erosion and retention of moisture in watershed areas. It’s

one of the components of integrated water shed management.

8. What are the effects of global warming?

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Global warming- effects on

1. sea level

2. agriculture and forestry

3. water resources

4. terrestrial ecosystems

5. human health

9. Explain acid-rain and its effects.

The precipitation of CO2 , SO2, and NO2 gases as pollutants in water.

Effects of acid rain

1. Human beings

Destroy life – nervous , respiratory and digestive system

Causes premature death from heart and lung disorders

2. On Buildings Corrosion - Taj Mahal , houses, statues, bridges, metals

3. On terrestrial and lake ecosystem

Reduces rate of photosynthesis, growth of crops, Fish population

And bio mass production

10. Bring out the reactions taking place at stratosphere.

The reactions occurring at stratosphere are known as “Chapman reactions”.

O2 + hv O + O

O + O2 O3

O3 + hv O2 + O

O + O2 O3

11. Compare Consumerism & Waste generation.

An organized movement of citizens and government agencies to improve the rights and

power of buyers in relation to sellers.

12. Enlist the factors affecting the sustainable society.

Inter- generational equality: it states that we should hand over a safe, healthy and resourceful

environment to our future generations.

Intra- generational equity: it states that technological development of rich countries should

support the economic growth of the poor countries and help in narrowing the wealth gap and

led to sustainability.

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13. Differentiate between Re-habilitation & Re-settlement of people.

Resettlement is defined as the process of simple relocation or displacement of human

population without considering their individual, community or societal needs.

Rehabilitation is defined as the process of replacing the lost economic assets, rebuilding the

community system that have been weakened by displacement, attending to the psychological

trauma of forced separation from livelihood.

14. Mention the objectives of Environment Protection Act.

The Act empowers the Central Government to take all appropriate measures to prevent and

control pollution and to establish effective machinery for the purpose of protecting and

improving the quality of the environment and protecting controlling and abating

environmental pollution.

15. Enlist the objectives of Air-Pollution Act.

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 is an appropriate step for the preservation

of the natural environment on the Earth which includes the preservation of the quality of air

and control of air pollution. In other words, this is an Act to provide for the prevention,

control and abatement of air pollution.

16. Explain the Wild-Life protection Act.

Wild Life, which is a part and parcel of the environment, constitutes wealth of the

nation. it included wild animals, birds, plants etc. However, man, in the process of progress

and development and also for his selfish ends, is causing much damage to the forests and

wild life. Wild life is nature's gift and its decline has an adverse effect of ecology and hence

there is an urgent need to protect the wild life. Therefore, in order to protect the wild life from

destruction, the Indian Parliament passed the Wild Life (Protection) Act in the year 1972.

17. Explain the necessity of Environmental Legislation.

To protect our environment from the sources which are causing severe environmental

pollution. The major problems are Air and water pollution by industries, forestry, land

resources, urbanization, waste management.

18. What is nuclear holocaust? How can it occur?

Nuclear holocaust means destruction of biodiversity by nuclear equipments and nuclear

bombs. Large level destruction can happen; when a reactor core melts down at nuclear war

leads to large number of living beings are totally died.

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19. Write a note on crop rotation.

The types of crops planted in fields are changed from year to year so that populations of pests

that attack a particular crop don’t have time to multiply to uncontrollable sizes.

20. What are the objectives of water act.

Prevention and control of water pollution.

Maintaining or restoring the wholesomeness of water.

Establishing central and state boards for the prevention and control of water pollution.

Part-B

1. Bring out the activities of NGO’s on environmental protection.

2. Describe about Water Act – 1974.

3. Describe the important waste land reclamation practices.

4. Describe environmental ethics in detail.

5. Discuss the modern techniques of rain water harvesting.

6. Discuss the agenda for sustainable development.

7. Explain the mechanism of Ozone layer depletion.

8. Discuss briefly of the Indian environmental Acts.

9. Write short notes on a) environmental ethics b) waste land reclamation.

10. State the important provisions in Environment protection Act , Air Act Water Act.

Unit-5 Human Population and the Environment

Part –A

1. Write short notes on population dynamics.

Population dynamics is the branch of life sciences that studies short-term and long-term

changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental

processes influencing those changes. Population dynamics deals with the way populations are

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affected by birth and death rates, and by immigration and emigration, and studies topics such

as ageing populations or population decline.

2. What are the factors affecting population size?

(i) Famines in a country or state lead to destruction.

(ii) Natural calamities like floods, droughts, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions,

hurricanes etc. lead to death of thousands of people.

(iii) Epidemic diseases, endemic diseases wipe a big number of populations.

(iv) Wars cause heavy casualties.

3. What is meant by population stabilization?

A population has stabilized when the number of births has come into balance with the

number of deaths, with the result that, the effects of immigration aside, the size of the

population remains relatively constant. We recognize that stabilization will only be possible

on an average over a period of time, as the annual numbers of births and deaths fluctuate. The

Commission further recognizes that to attain a stabilized population would take a number of

decades, primarily because such a high proportion of our population today is now entering

the ages of marriage and reproduction.

4. Define the term population explosion.

The enormous increase in population due to low death rate (mortalityt) and high birth rate

(natality), is termed as population explosion.

5. What kinds of problems are created due to Urbanization?

Global change has led to a mass exodus of rural areas to urban landscapes. Most individuals

and families move to cities for work or educational opportunities. Although some

urbanization happens naturally, as people move closer to work to avoid long commutes, some

families are forced to move. As family farms become increasingly rare and more difficult to

sustain, people flock to where services and money are centralized – cities. Several problems

have resulted in the wake of urbanization.

6. What are the objectives of Family Planning Programmes?

To increase the female literacy rate.

To enhance child survival through universal immunization.

To reduce the birth rate

7. Mention the types of health hazards with examples.

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

19 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

Chemical hazards, Biological hazards, Physical hazards

8. What is the role of primary health care against AIDS?

education

prevention of blood borne HIV transmission

primary health care

counseling services

drug treatment

9. What do you mean by remote sensing?

Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without

making physical contact with the object and thus in contrast to in situ observation. In modern

usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify

objects on Earth (both on the surface, and in the atmosphere and oceans) by means of

propagated signals (e.g. electromagnetic radiation). It may be split into active remote sensing

(when a signal is first emitted from aircraft or satellites) or passive (e.g. sunlight) when

information is merely recorded.

10. What is doubling time, total fertility rates?

The time required by a population to double itself is called doubling time.

The total fertility rate of a population is the number of children born per woman per lifetime.

11. Define Zero Population growth.

When population is not growing and the number of births equals the number of deaths, it is

said to exhibit zero population growth.

12. What are the two important views of population growth?

There is an ultimate carrying capacity for the human population and limiting factors will

come into play to cause populations to stabilize. However, unlike populations of other kinds

of organisms, human populations are also influenced by a variety of social, political,

economic, and ethical factors. Humans have accumulated knowledge that allows for

predictions about the future and can make conscious decisions based on the likely course of

events and adjust their lives accordingly.

13. What is meant by value education?

Value education is an education which teaches:

How to live life well?

How to find happiness?

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

20 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

How to make others happy?

How to behave and communicate with others?

How to manage all kinds of people as well as happenings?

How to grow and succeed in the right manner

14. What is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system designed to capture, store,

manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data. The

acronym GIS is sometimes used for geographical information science or geospatial

information studies to refer to the academic discipline or career of working with geographic

information systems and is a large domain within the broader academic discipline of Geo

informatics. What goes beyond a GIS is a spatial data infrastructure, a concept that has no

such restrictive boundaries.

15. Define (i) Toxins (ii) Carcinogens (iii) Tetrogenic (iv) Neurotoxins.

Toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms;synthetic toxicants

created by artificial processes are thus excluded. ]Toxins can be small molecules, peptides, or

proteins that are capable of causing disease on contact with or absorption by body tissues

interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes or cellular receptors. Toxins

vary greatly in their severity, ranging from usually minor (such as a bee sting) to almost

immediately deadly (such as botulinum toxin).

carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in

causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of

cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substances are considered carcinogens, but

their carcinogenic activity is attributed to the radiation, for example gamma rays and alpha

particles, which they emit.

Teratogenic - of or relating to substances or agents that can interfere with normal embryonic

development

Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insults which can

adversely affect function in both developing and mature nervous tissue.

16. State how environment & human health are related?

Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the

natural and built environment that may affect human health. Other terms referring to or

concerning environmental health are environmental public health, and public health

protection / environmental health protection and environmental protection. Environmental

health is focused on the natural and built environments for the benefit of human health,

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

21 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

whereas Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In

humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind and body, usually meaning to be free

from illness, injury or pain

17. State the role of information technology in environment.

Land and water management

Information on type, density, biomass, forest fire, pest and disease.

18. List the problems of population growth.

Inadequate fresh water for drinking as well as sewage treatment and effluent

discharge. Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, use energy-expensive desalination to solve the

problem of water shortages.

Depletion of natural resources, especially fossil fuels.

Increased levels of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and noise

pollution. Once a country has industrialized and become wealthy, a combination of

government regulation and technological innovation causes pollution to decline substantially,

even as the population continues to grow.

Deforestation and loss of ecosystems that valuably contribute to the global

atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide balance; about eight million hectares of forest are

lost each year.

Changes in atmospheric composition and consequent global warming.

Loss of arable land and increase in desertification. Deforestation and desertification

can be reversed by adopting property rights, and this policy is successful even while the

human population continues to grow.

19. What are the sources of HIV infection.

Using unscreened needles or syringes, from the affected mother to their babies during

pregnancy, delivery or breast feeding, through blood contact/ unprotected sex with the

infected person

20. Define the term nuclear energy.

Energy released during nuclear reaction is called nuclear energy. Nuclear reactors produce

the nuclear energy either by nuclear fission or fusion reaction.

Valliammai Engineering College GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering Department of EIE

22 2015-16 III Semester Prepared by: C.Praveen kumar, K.R.Ganesh

Part – B

1. Explain the population characteristics & variations among nations.

2. What is meant by population explosion? Discuss the Indian Scenario.

3. What is meant by population stabilization? Discuss the family welfare and family planning

in Indian context.

4. What is Universal declaration of Human rights? What is its importance in achieving the

goals of equity, justice & sustainability?

5. Discuss the salient features of Draft declaration of Human Rights on environment.

6. What are the objectives & elements of Value-education? How can the same be achieved?

7. Briefly discuss HIV/AIDS, mode of its spread and its effect on environment.

8. Discuss various issues & measures for Women & Child Welfare at International &

National level.

9. What is the role of NMIS, ENVIS & GIS in dissemination of environmental information

and environmental management?

10. Discuss the factors influencing the family size.