UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Green firecrackers: an oxymoron?

Q1. With reference to how 'green' firecrackers developed by CSIR laboratories are designed to lower emissions, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Altering the proportions of fuel and oxidiser aims at more efficient combustion, so that less of the composition escapes as unburnt or partially burnt residue.
  2. Water released by the composition while it burns helps suppress part of the dust and particulate matter generated.
  3. Cutting the metal content lowers emissions because metallic fuels burn to form solid oxide particles that add to the particulate load.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q2. A firecracker qualifies as 'green' if it emits either 30% less particulate matter (PM), or 20% less PM together with 10% less gaseous emissions, than a conventional firecracker of the same category. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. A certified green flowerpot emits no more than 80% of the PM emitted by a comparable conventional flowerpot.
  2. A certified green sparkler necessarily emits less PM than a conventional flowerpot.
  3. A cracker that cuts PM by 25% but makes no cut in gaseous emissions meets the definition.
  4. A cracker emitting 22% less PM and 12% less gaseous pollutants than its conventional counterpart meets the definition.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4 only

Q3. With reference to the regulation of firecrackers in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A test certificate from a CSIR laboratory that a formulation meets green-cracker emission norms does not by itself authorise its manufacture, which requires licensing under explosives law.
  2. The Explosives Act, 1884, regulates only the import and export of explosives, leaving their manufacture and sale outside its scope.
  3. The Central Pollution Control Board is a statutory body constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and later entrusted with functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. With reference to the build-up of air pollutants over the Delhi region in the post-monsoon and winter months, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A temperature inversion, with cooler air trapped beneath warmer air, acts as a cap that limits upward movement of air and the dispersion of pollutants.
  2. Lower mixing heights confine emissions to a shallower layer of air, so the same emissions produce higher concentrations near the ground.
  3. Rain and steadier winds tend to aggravate particulate build-up by pressing pollutants down towards the surface.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. Consider the following assertion: A court order permitting only certified green firecrackers for a limited period is a compromise between festive practice and clean air, rather than a solution to festival-season air pollution. Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?

  1. Green crackers are reported to be 15-20% cheaper than conventional crackers.
  2. Green crackers still emit fine particulate matter and noxious gases.
  3. The emission reductions of green crackers are measured against conventional crackers of the same category, not against zero.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q6. Consider the following statements about particulate matter (PM): Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. PM10 and PM2.5 are mutually exclusive size classes, so a particle 2 micrometres in diameter is counted under PM2.5 but not under PM10.
  2. Particulate matter can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects in addition to respiratory ones.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q7. Suppose every conventional firecracker in a city is replaced by a green cracker that emits 30% less particulate matter than the conventional cracker of the same category. Believing them harmless, residents burst twice as many crackers as before. Compared with the earlier festival, total particulate matter from firecrackers would be roughly

  • A. about 40% higher
  • B. about 30% lower
  • C. about the same
  • D. about 70% higher