Module – 4

Waste Management
1. What is the primary purpose of solid waste management?
a) To recycle waste only
b) To dispose of waste with minimal environmental impact
c) To increase waste generation
d) To burn all types of waste

2. Which of the following is NOT a source of solid waste?

a) Residential
b) Commercial
c) Agricultural
d) Marine

3. What type of waste is mainly generated from households?

a) Industrial waste
b) Hazardous waste
c) Municipal solid waste
d) Electronic waste

4. Which of the following is NOT a functional element of solid waste management?

a) Waste generation
b) Waste disposal
c) Nuclear waste management
d) Collection and transfer

5. Which type of waste is mainly produced by industries and factories?

a) Hazardous waste
b) Food waste
c) Agricultural waste
d) Plastic waste

6. Which method involves the decomposition of organic waste by microorganisms

under controlled conditions?
a) Recycling
b) Composting
c) Incineration
d) Landfilling

7. In solid waste management, the process of separating diQerent types of waste

materials at the source is known as:
a) Collection
b) Waste segregation
c) Landfilling
d) Incineration
8. Which of these wastes is considered biodegradable?
a) Plastic
b) Glass
c) Paper
d) Metal

9. The main goal of recycling in waste management is to:

a) Increase waste production
b) Reduce the need for raw materials
c) Decrease landfill costs
d) Make more energy

10. Which is the last step in the solid waste management process?
a) Waste minimization
b) Waste storage
c) Waste disposal
d) Waste collection

11. What is the main goal of waste management?

a) To recycle waste
b) To prevent environmental pollution
c) To incinerate waste
d) To store waste

12. Which of the following is considered hazardous waste?

a) Plastic bottles
b) Batteries
c) Cardboard boxes
d) Food waste

13. The ‘3Rs’ in waste management stand for:

a) Reuse, Recycle, Reduce
b) Reuse, Replace, Reduce
c) Reduce, Reuse, Remove
d) Replace, Recycle, Reuse

14. Which of the following methods is used for treating organic waste?
a) Landfilling
b) Composting
c) Incineration
d) Recycling

15. What is the main disadvantage of incinerating waste?

a) It reduces waste volume
b) It generates electricity
c) It produces harmful emissions
 d) It requires little space
16. What type of waste does “e-waste” refer to?
a) Excessive waste
b) Electric and electronic waste
c) Environment-friendly waste
d) Energy waste

17. Which of these is NOT a common type of recyclable material?

a) Plastic
b) Paper
c) Glass
d) Medical waste

18. What is landfill leachate?

a) Water that evaporates from waste
b) Liquids that drain from landfills
c) Gas emitted by landfills
d) None of the above

19. Which of the following gases is commonly produced by landfills?

a) Nitrogen
b) Oxygen
c) Methane
d) Hydrogen

20. What is the process of converting waste materials into new products called?
a) Landfilling
b) Recycling
c) Composting
d) Incineration

21. What is Biomedical Waste?

a) Any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of
humans or animals
b) Waste generated from households
c) Recyclable waste from industries
d) Hazardous waste only

22. Which of the following is NOT a source of biomedical waste?

a) Hospitals
b) Pharmaceutical industries
c) Households (except home healthcare)
d) Research labs

23. Which category of waste includes items like needles, syringes, and scalpel blades?
a) General Waste
b) Infectious Waste
 c) Sharps
d) Radioactive Waste

24. Which color coding is generally used for disposing of infectious biomedical waste in
many countries?
a) Green
b) Red
c) Yellow
d) Blue

25. Pathological waste in biomedical waste refers to:

a) Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
b) Human tissues, organs, and body parts
c) Radioactive materials
d) Disinfected waste

26. What type of biomedical waste would laboratory cultures, waste from surgery, and
bodily fluids fall under?
a) General Waste
b) Infectious Waste
c) Chemical Waste
d) Radioactive Waste

27. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of biomedical waste?

a) Infectiousness
b) Hazardousness
c) Radioactivity
d) Recyclability

28. Cytotoxic drugs, used in cancer treatment, are classified under which type of
biomedical waste?
a) Chemical Waste
b) Infectious Waste
c) General Waste
d) Sharps Waste

29. The main purpose of biomedical waste management is to:

a) Reduce, reuse, and recycle all waste
b) Minimize environmental impact and prevent infection transmission
c) Increase waste production for economic benefits
d) Dispose of waste in landfills only

30. Which process is commonly used to treat infectious biomedical waste to render it
non-infectious?
a) Autoclaving
b) Incineration
c) Landfilling
 d) Recycling
31. The Environmental Protection Act of 1986 in India was passed in response to which
major environmental disaster?
a) Chernobyl disaster
b) Bhopal gas tragedy
c) Fukushima nuclear disaster
d) Exxon Valdez oil spill

32. Which international agreement focuses specifically on reducing greenhouse gas

emissions to combat climate change?
a) Kyoto Protocol
b) Montreal Protocol
c) Stockholm Convention
d) Basel Convention

33. The Montreal Protocol is aimed at protecting the environment by phasing out
substances that harm the:
a) Ozone layer
b) Marine ecosystems
c) Forest cover
d) Freshwater sources

34. Which act in the United States primarily governs water pollution and sets standards
for water quality?
a) Clean Water Act
b) Clean Air Act
c) National Environmental Policy Act
d) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

35. The Basel Convention is concerned with:

a) Protection of biodiversity
b) Transboundary movement of hazardous waste
c) Control of greenhouse gas emissions
d) Prevention of marine pollution

36. Which piece of legislation requires environmental impact assessments (EIA) before
initiating any major federal projects in the United States?
a) Endangered Species Act
b) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
c) Clean Air Act
d) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

37. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted during which event?
a) Stockholm Conference
b) Rio Earth Summit
c) Kyoto Protocol Meeting
d) Paris Climate Conference
38. The Endangered Species Act of the United States was enacted in which year?
a) 1969
b) 1973
c) 1985
d) 1990

39. The Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperature rise this century below:
a) 1.0°C above pre-industrial levels
b) 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
c) 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels
d) 3.0°C above pre-industrial levels

40. The Stockholm Convention addresses the issue of:

a) Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
b) Carbon emissions from industries
c) Endangered wildlife trade
d) Marine plastic pollution

41. Which ministry is responsible for the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016?
a) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
b) Ministry of Urban Development
c) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
d) Ministry of Rural Development

42. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 are applicable to which of the following
entities?
a) Urban local bodies
b) Industries generating solid waste
c) Event organizers generating solid waste
d) All of the above

43. According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, waste segregation at source
is divided into which primary categories?
a) Wet and dry waste
b) Hazardous and non-hazardous waste
c) Recyclable and non-recyclable waste
d) Organic, inorganic, and hazardous waste

44. Who is responsible for the collection of segregated waste under the Solid Waste
Management Rules, 2016?
a) State Pollution Control Board
b) Municipal authorities
c) Central Pollution Control Board
d) Citizens themselves
45. Under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, what type of waste cannot be
stored in dumpsites?
a) Hazardous waste
b) Plastic waste
c) Organic waste
d) Inert waste

46. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 require waste generators to do which of
the following?
a) Compost organic waste
b) Segregate waste at the source
c) Hand over recyclable waste to authorized recyclers
d) All of the above

47. According to the rules, how often should waste be collected from residential areas?
a) Daily
b) Weekly
c) Monthly
d) Every other day

48. Which body is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Solid Waste
Management Rules, 2016?
a) Ministry of Urban Development
b) State Pollution Control Boards
c) Local NGOs
d) Municipal workers

49. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandate that bulk generators of waste
(like hotels, hospitals, and educational institutions) should do what?
a) Treat their own waste
b) Hand over waste to the nearest municipal authority
c) Dump waste at a nearby landfill
d) Export waste to other states

50. What is the timeline given under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, for
setting up waste processing facilities?
a) One year
b) Two years
c) Five years
d) Ten years

51. Under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, who bears the responsibility of
waste management in gated communities and institutions with an area above 5,000
square meters?
a) Local government authority
b) The management of the community or institution
c) Private contractors
 d) State government

52. Which of the following is NOT a requirement under the Solid Waste Management
Rules, 2016?
a) Phasing out of the use of plastics below 50 microns
b) Establishing landfills near water bodies
c) Promotion of waste segregation at source
d) Regular monitoring of waste treatment facilities

53. Which waste management process is encouraged to handle biodegradable waste

under the rules?
a) Burning
b) Composting
c) Incineration
d) Dumping in landfills

54. What does the rule specify about the role of educational institutions in solid waste
management?
a) They should develop waste treatment plants
b) They should encourage students to participate in awareness campaigns
c) They should have zero waste generation
d) They are exempted from solid waste management responsibilities

55. When were the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 notified?
a) March 2016
b) March 2017
c) March 2015
d) March 2018

56. What is the main objective of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016?
a) To reduce electronic waste
b) To manage plastic waste
c) To streamline the segregation, collection, and disposal of biomedical waste
d) To encourage the use of renewable energy

57. Who is primarily responsible for implementing the Biomedical Waste Management
Rules, 2016 at the local level?
a) State Pollution Control Boards
b) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
c) Occupier of the health care facility
d) Municipal Corporation

58. Under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, what is the maximum period
for which untreated biomedical waste can be stored?
a) 72 hours
b) 24 hours
c) 48 hours
 d) 12 hours

59. Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandate categorizing waste into how
many categories?
a) 8
b) 6
c) 2
d) 4

60. What colour coding is used for containers meant for infectious waste like human
anatomical waste under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016?
a) Red
b) Yellow
c) Black
d) White

61. Which type of biomedical waste is disposed of in red-coloured bags according to

the 2016 rules?
a) Human anatomical waste
b) Pharmaceuticals
c) Contaminated recyclable waste (like tubing and gloves)
d) Radioactive waste

62. What is the validity period of the authorization for waste management given to
healthcare facilities under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016?
a) 5 years
b) 1 year
c) 3 years
d) 10 years

63. Which government agency is responsible for monitoring compliance with

Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016?
a) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
b) State Pollution Control Boards
c) Local Municipal Authority
d) District Administration

64. What is the method prescribed under the rules for final disposal of incinerator ash
from biomedical waste?
a) Landfilling
b) Composting
c) Secured landfill
d) Open dumping

65. Livestock wastes release large amount of _______in to environment.

a) NH4 b)NH3 c)NO3 d)NO4
 66. The liquid waste from baths and kitchens is called
a) Sullage b) Domestic sewage c) Storm waste d) Run off

67. Noise pollution can be minimized by

a) a) Urbanization b) Maintaining silence c) Reducing noise at source d) none

68. BOD Means

a) Biochemical oxygen demand
b) chemical oxygen demand
c) biophysical oxygen demand
d) all

69. Which of the following industry generates coloured waste

a) Software industry
b) Textile industry
c) Biomedical industry
d) none

70. Which of the following is a major source of thermal pollution of water bodies
a) Sewage treatment plants
b) Thermal power plants
c) Solid waste disposal
d) all

71. Which of the following are non-biodegradable

a) Plastics b) Domestic sewage c) detergent d) a and c

72. What is e-waste?

•Answer: E-waste, or electronic waste, refers to discarded electrical or
electronic devices.
73.Which of the following is NOT considered e-waste?
a) Old mobile phones
b) Plastic bottles
c) Computers
d) TVs

74. What harmful substance is commonly found in e-waste?

a) Lead
b) Iron
c) Plastic
d) Water

75. What is one major environmental issue caused by improper disposal of e-waste?
Answer: Soil and water contamination from toxic heavy metals.

76.Which process is used to recover valuable materials from e-waste?

a) Landfilling
b) Incineration
c) Recycling
 d) Composting

77. What is industrial sludge?

Answer: Industrial sludge is a by-product of industrial wastewater t treatment
processes, often containing pollutants and heavy metals.

78.Which industry is known for producing large amounts of sludge as a by-product?

a) Textile
b) IT
c) Retail
d) Tourism

79.What harmful components are often found in industrial sludge?

a) Metals
b) Organic compounds
c) Pathogens
d) Both a and b

80.Which method is commonly used for treating industrial sludge?

a) Thermal drying
b) Composting
c) Surface spreading
d) Evaporation

81.What is municipal sludge?

Answer: Municipal sludge is the semi-solid by-product of municipal wastewater
treatment processes.

82.What is another term commonly used for municipal sludge?

a) Municipal waste
b) Sewage sludge
c) Industrial waste
d) Organic compost

83.Which component is often found in municipal sludge?

a) Pathogens
b) Nutrients
c) Organic matter
d) All of the above

84.What is one common use for treated municipal sludge?

a) Fertilizer in agriculture
b) Incineration
c) Metal extraction
d) Drinking
85. Discharge of Municipal waste causes
a) Depletion of dissolved oxygen
b) Destroy aquatic life
c) Impair biological activity
d) All of these

86. Solid waste is best managed through

a) Incineration b)Open dumping c)Sanitary landfill d) Composting