This set of Environmental Biotechnology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Pollutants Environmental Impact – Uptake and Retention”.
1. Which of the following is a term used for the amount of pollutant retained in the body of an organism?
a) Uptake
b) Retention
c) Dosage
d) Potassium
View Answer
Explanation: Uptake is the amount of pollutant or substance taken by the organism into the body, Retention is a term used for the amount of pollutant retained in the body of an organism after being used up in several processes. Whereas, dosage is the particular amount of drug taken in a particular interval of time. And potassium is the basic metal or nutrients and minerals available in the environment.
2. Which of the following can be a major source for eutrophication of surface water?
a) Nitrogen
b) Calcium
c) Magnesium
d) Potassium
View Answer
Explanation: Nitrogen and phosphorus is majorly responsible for Eutrophication which leads to overgrowth of plants and algae in aquatic ecosystems, after the death of the organisms die, bacterial degradation requires a lot of oxygen consumption leading to hypoxia, Calcium, potassium and magnesium are the basic nutrients and minerals available in the environment not leading to eutrophication.
3. Which of the following compound can help degrade amino nitrogen and heterocyclic nitrogen by biological method?
a) Ammonia
b) Nitrate
c) Sulphate
d) Carbon dioxide
View Answer
Explanation: Amino nitrogen and heterocyclic nitrogen can be degraded by biological method by first converting it into ammonia by aerobic and anaerobic processes thereby making the removal easier, conversion into nitrate has to be again converted into ammonia, and amino nitrogen doesn’t have a sulphate group and it is definitely not converted into carbon dioxide.
4. Removal of nitrogen cannot be done by which of the following process?
a) Desalination
b) Nitrification
c) Ammonification
d) Denitrification
View Answer
Explanation: Removal of nitrogen from waste water follows 3 basic steps in the following sequence, ammonification, nitrification and denitrification for the complete removal of nitrogen which would otherwise lead to eutrophication, desalination is a procedure by which salt is removed from water bodies, this step is not followed for nitrogen removal.
5. Autotrophic retention of nitrogen compounds leads to formation of nitrate by conversion of ammonia.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: Autotrophic nitrification leads to formation of nitrate by conversion of ammonia into nitrate via nitrite with the help of nitrifying bacteria which are aerobic in nature.
6. Which of the following is not an effect of retention or uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic ecosystem?
a) Adverse health conditions
b) Algal blooms
c) Increase in water quality
d) Reduction in marine life
View Answer
Explanation: Increase in water quality helps in maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem, whereas, Algal blooms causes the reduction in nutrient quality of the water which affects the biological life in water, aquatic organism consumed by humans may cause adverse health issues, nitrogen and phosphorus in aquatic ecosystem leads to eutrophication which leads to algal blooms and other adverse conditions and hence, reduction in marine life.
7. Nitrifying bacteria doesn’t belong to which of the following genera?
a) Nitrosomonas
b) Nitrosococcus
c) Nitrosospira
d) Pseudomonas
View Answer
Explanation: Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosospira and Nitrosovibrio are various genera of nitrifying bacteria to which they belong, whereas pseudomonas is a different genus which is not involved in nitrification processes.
8. The optimal removal of phosphate by biological method should have a COD/P ratio of 20g COD/g of phosphate.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: For efficient and optimal removal of phosphate by biological method it should have a COD/P ratio of 20g COD/g of phosphate to enhance the good growth of phosphate accumulating bacteria.
9. Ferrous ions can supplement biological phosphate removal.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: Ferrous ions can be added to supplement biological phosphate removal with chemical precipitation, if particulate COD is separated in primary sedimentation pond. Sometimes the toxic metals retention in the environment leads to increase in toxicity of the substance in the environment leading to increased health risks.
10. Which of the following is the correct expansion of OLNAD?
a) Oxygen limited nitrification and denitrification
b) Oxygen reduced nitrification and denitrification
c) Oxygen limited ammonification and denitrification
d) Oxygen reduced nitrification and ammonification
View Answer
Explanation: OLNAD stands for Oxygen limited nitrification and denitrification where ammonia is removed using organic carbon source in a single step, Oxygen reduced nitrification and denitrification, Oxygen limited ammonification and denitrification and Oxygen reduced nitrification and ammonification are not the correct expansion.
11. Which of the following is the major disadvantage of heterotrophic nitrification?
a) Excess sludge generation
b) Less sludge generation
c) Presence of oxygen
d) Presence of carbon source
View Answer
Explanation: Heterotrophic bacteria nitrifies the oxidation of inorganic and organic reduced forms of Nitrogen to nitrate which is known as heterotrophic nitrification, excess sludge generation creates a problem and is a major disadvantage of heterotrophic nitrification, whereas, less sludge generation would not create a problem for heterotrophic nitrification, oxygen is required for oxidation process, so, that wouldn’t create a problem, suitable carbon source is required for heterotrophic nitrification.
Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Environmental Biotechnology.
To practice all areas of Environmental Biotechnology, here is complete set of 1000+ Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.
If you find a mistake in question / option / answer, kindly take a screenshot and email to [email protected]
- Practice Biotechnology MCQs
- Apply for Biotechnology Internship
- Check Biotechnology Books
- Check Environmental Biotechnology Books
