Question

Which of these are biodegradable pollutants?
(i) Pesticides
(ii) Mercuric salts
(iii) Sewage
(iv) Radioactive wastes
A. (i) and (ii)
B. (i) and (iii)
C. (i), (iii) and (iv)
D. (iii) only

Answer 1

Biodegradable waste includes any organic waste matter which can be further broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane or simple organic molecules by microorganisms and other living things by several processes like aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion, composting, etc.

Complete step by step answer:
Biodegradable pollutants are the material which can be broken down by nature itself over time. Many biodegradable pollutants are bad for people without strictly being bad for the environment.
The substances that can be broken down into simpler substances are biodegradable in nature. Sewage is an example of biodegradable pollutants. The sewage is the waste materials that are released into the water bodies which have a negative impact on the living organisms residing inside the water bodies. The pesticides, mercuric salts and radioactive wastes come under the category of non-biodegradable wastes and they cannot be degraded over time and also cause severe toxic effects in the human body. Although these wastes cannot get degraded, once they enter the food chain and food web, they get transferred from one trophic level to another. Thus, the sewage acts as the only biodegradable pollutant among all the four given options.

So, the correct answer is Option D .

Note:
Many biodegradable pollutants may not harm us but, at the same time they can prove fatal for some of the human beings who are prone to diseases and infections. This can be explained by taking human waste and fecal matter as an example. It may carry disease causing microorganisms and being exposed to it is very bad for humans. However, as it gets degraded over time, it will not have a long lasting effect/impact on the environment.