Question

Blue baby syndrome is caused by pollution of
(A) CO
(B) Fluorine
(C) Nitrate
(D) Mercury

Answer 1

Hint: Blue baby syndrome is caused by pollution of ion which is polyatomic and has a molar mass of $62 \ g/mol$ and is soluble in water. This ion also acts as a vasodilator.

Complete step by step answer:
Blue baby syndrome is the disease in which oxygen transportation by blood is affected and this results in the turning of skin colour to blue in babies. The sources of nitrate can include fertilizers utilized in agricultural lands, waste dumps, or pit latrines
Nitrates from polluted water form compounds within the body that change hemoglobin to methemoglobin, decreasing the flexibility of blood to hold oxygen. In infants, the condition may be fatal

So, the correct answer is ‘Nitrate’.

Additional Information: Babies have blue baby syndrome if they have any of the condition which is as follows:
- A cyanotic heart defect is a type of congenital heart defect (CHD) that happens because of deoxygenated blood is passing the lungs and entering the circulatory system of the body or a combination of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood entering the circulation. The major cause of this disease is some structural defects in the heart like right-to-left or bidirectional shunting, malposition of the good arteries, or increase in pulmonary vascular resistance.
- Methemoglobinemia, which is a disease defined by high levels of methemoglobin within the blood. Increased levels of methemoglobin prevent oxygen from being released into the tissues and end in hypoxemia.
There is a separate treatment based on the cause of blue baby syndrome. If it is due to Cyanotic heart disease
They are treated with oxygen therapy and prostaglandin E1.
If it is due to Methemoglobinemia, methylene blue is given that will reduce methemoglobin in the blood.

Note: Nitrates are mainly used as fertilizers for plants. It is also used in explosives because solid ammonium nitrate decomposes very rapidly into two gases, nitrous oxide and water vapor due to which the explosive force occurs.