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UPSC 2023: Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution: 1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world. 2. Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution. 3. There is no known 'safe level' of exposure to mercury. How many of the above statements are correct?
(a)Only one
(b)Only two
(c)All three
(d)None
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Not attemptedCorrect Answer: (b) Only two
Artisanal and small-scale gold-mining uses mercury amalgamation, and coal combustion releases mercury to the atmosphere, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. While WHO flags mercury as highly toxic, regulatory agencies (e.g., US EPA, Health Canada) still define reference ‘tolerable’ blood or air levels, so UPSC treated the absolute 'no safe level' assertion as incorrect; thus only two statements are correct. ([drishtiias.com](https://www.drishtiias.com/prelims-analysis/2023-prelims-analysis))
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct answer to this UPSC 2023 Environment & Ecology question?▼
The correct answer is option (b): Only two. Watch the detailed video explanation in our Sherlocking Prelims course on UnlockIAS.
Which year was this Pollution & Waste Management question asked in UPSC Prelims?▼
This question was asked in UPSC CSE Prelims 2023, GS Paper 1, as Question 59. It falls under Environment & Ecology > Pollution & Waste Management.
What is the difficulty level of this UPSC question?▼
This question is rated "moderate". It requires sound conceptual understanding of the topic.
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Pollution & Waste Management?▼
UPSC has asked 38 questions from Pollution & Waste Management (under Environment & Ecology) across multiple years. Visit the topic page to see the full list and year-wise trends.