Which one of the following is NOT a bio-degradable (biodegradable) pollutant?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, Insecticides. Insecticides are synthetic chemical pesticides (classic examples include organochlorines such as DDT), and many of them resist breakdown by natural microbial action — they persist in soil and water for long periods and can even bioaccumulate up the food chain. That makes them the odd one out among the four options, which are otherwise all organic materials that microorganisms readily decompose.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Paper is made largely of cellulose, a natural organic compound that fungi and bacteria break down readily — a standard biodegradable pollutant.  (b) Kitchen and plant waste is organic matter that decomposes quickly through microbial and fungal action — the classic biodegradable, compostable pollutant.  (d) Wood and cellulose are natural plant materials that decomposers (fungi, bacteria) can break down, even if more slowly than softer organic waste — still biodegradable.

Concept: Pollutants are classed as biodegradable (broken down by natural biological processes — bacteria, fungi — into simpler, usually harmless substances) or non-biodegradable (resistant to such breakdown, so they persist and accumulate in the environment). Paper, food/plant waste, and wood/cellulose are all organic materials that decomposers can break down. Synthetic chemical pesticides such as insecticides, by contrast, are engineered to be chemically stable and often resist microbial degradation, making them the standard example of a non-biodegradable pollutant in this classification.

State PCS 2023 Q7 — Environment & Ecology PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q7 — Environment & Ecology PYQ with Answer