Question

Which of the following is a biodegradable pollutant?
(A) Domestic waste
(B) DDT
(C) Mercury salts
(D) Aluminium foil

Answer 1

Hint: Biodegradable pollutants are those materials which can be decomposed by bacteria and other naturally occurring organisms, which do not add to pollution. By using this information, we can easily find out the required answer.

Complete Solution :
Let us see what we actually mean by biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants.
- Biodegradable pollutants-
These are the materials that can be decomposed by bacteria and other organisms; which eventually do not add to the pollution.

- Non-biodegradable pollutants-
These are the materials which cannot be broken down by natural organisms and thus, act as a source of pollution.
Now, let us analyse each of our options given to correctly answer the question;
1. Domestic waste-
This includes kitchen wastes such as vegetables, fruit peels, used tea leaves, paper, etc. which can be easily broken down by the action of bacteria or decomposers.
2. DDT-
DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. It is a non-biodegradable compound as it is a highly polluting substance and toxic for the environment.
3. Mercury salts-
Mercury is an element in nature which cannot be decomposed so easily. Thus, it is a non-biodegradable pollutant.
4. Aluminium foil-
This substance does not disintegrate even if we degrade it into the landfills over a long period of time. Thus, it is a non-biodegradable pollutant.
Therefore, from the above statements we can conclude that domestic waste is only the biodegradable pollutant.
So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note: Do note that DDT is an organochlorine. It was formerly used against insects in large amounts but later it had harmful effects on living organisms. In today’s date it is noted in the list of carcinogenic substances for the living world.