Forest, water, mineral, energy, and land resources MCQs With Answer

Forest, water, mineral, energy, and land resources MCQs With Answer

This collection of MCQs is designed for M.Pharm students studying Hazards and Safety Management. It focuses on the environmental and occupational risks associated with forest, water, mineral, energy, and land resources, linking resource-specific hazards to pharmaceutical industry concerns such as contamination, waste handling, remediation, and regulatory compliance. Questions cover risk assessment, monitoring methods, pollution pathways, emergency response, and sustainable management practices. Answers include concise, technically accurate choices to test understanding of mechanisms (e.g., acid mine drainage, bioaccumulation), safety controls, and remediation strategies relevant to ensuring environmental safety and protecting public health in pharmaceutical contexts.

Q1. Which process best explains how heavy metals from mining activities become concentrated in aquatic food chains?

• Point-source dilution
• Bioaccumulation and biomagnification
• Sedimentation settling
• Photodegradation

Correct Answer: Bioaccumulation and biomagnification

Q2. What is the primary hazard associated with acid mine drainage (AMD) affecting downstream water quality?

• Elevated pH and increased alkalinity
• Release of organic contaminants only
• Lowered pH and mobilization of toxic metals
• Increased dissolved oxygen concentrating nutrients

Correct Answer: Lowered pH and mobilization of toxic metals

Q3. In forest ecosystems, which hazard most directly increases the risk of large-scale wildfires affecting nearby pharmaceutical facilities?

• Invasive species reducing fuel loads
• Prolonged drought combined with fuel accumulation
• Increased precipitation during summer
• Suppression of all understory vegetation

Correct Answer: Prolonged drought combined with fuel accumulation

Q4. Which water quality parameter is most commonly used to estimate the amount of biodegradable organic matter and potential oxygen depletion in wastewater?

• Total dissolved solids (TDS)
• Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
• pH
• Electrical conductivity

Correct Answer: Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

Q5. Which remediation technology is most appropriate for removing petroleum hydrocarbons from a contaminated soil at a pharmaceutical or industrial site?

• Phytoremediation using hyperaccumulator plants for heavy metals
• Bioremediation using aerobic microbial treatment and soil aeration
• Solidification with cement to mobilize hydrocarbons
• Thermal evaporation of inorganic salts

Correct Answer: Bioremediation using aerobic microbial treatment and soil aeration

Q6. Which energy resource presents the highest immediate risk of thermal runaway and catastrophic fire when mishandled in storage for industrial use?

• Low-pressure natural gas pipelines
• Lithium-ion battery storage systems
• Hydroelectric reservoirs
• Passive solar collectors

Correct Answer: Lithium-ion battery storage systems

Q7. What is the chief environmental concern from improper disposal of tailings ponds at mineral extraction sites?

• Loss of biodiversity due to sea level rise
• Leaching of heavy metals and cyanide into groundwater
• Increased UV radiation reaching soil surfaces
• Thermal pollution of adjacent rivers

Correct Answer: Leaching of heavy metals and cyanide into groundwater

Q8. For assessing land subsidence risk at an industrial site, which monitoring method is most direct and informative?

• Remote sensing vegetation index only
• Periodic soil pH measurements
• InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) and leveling surveys
• Ambient noise monitoring

Correct Answer: InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) and leveling surveys

Q9. Which regulatory process must be completed before a large-scale mining or industrial project to evaluate environmental hazards and mitigation measures?

• Occupational Safety and Health Audit
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• Pharmacovigilance review
• Site Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification

Correct Answer: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Q10. Which term describes the loss of productive topsoil due to water or wind, often exacerbated by deforestation and improper land use?

• Salinization
• Soil erosion
• Desiccation cracking
• Compaction

Correct Answer: Soil erosion

Q11. When designing a pharmaceutical plant near a river, which measure most effectively reduces the risk of contamination during a flood event?

• Locating all chemical storage in basements
• Elevating hazardous material storage above predicted flood levels and secondary containment
• Using only biodegradable chemicals regardless of containment
• Relying on natural floodplain drainage without barriers

Correct Answer: Elevating hazardous material storage above predicted flood levels and secondary containment

Q12. Which analytical parameter is crucial for monitoring potential pharmaceutical contamination in surface water due to effluent discharge?

• Antibiotic-resistant gene markers and targeted trace organic analysis
• Total suspended solids only
• Nitrogen isotope ratio exclusively
• Soil organic carbon content upstream

Correct Answer: Antibiotic-resistant gene markers and targeted trace organic analysis

Q13. In mining operations, which PPE and engineering control combination best reduces inhalation exposure to respirable crystalline silica for workers?

• Open-air blasting without PPE
• Local exhaust ventilation, water suppression, and certified respirators
• Only administrative controls such as longer shifts
• Standard cotton masks and frequent breaks

Correct Answer: Local exhaust ventilation, water suppression, and certified respirators

Q14. Which sustainable practice most directly decreases land degradation and maintains ecosystem services after mineral resource extraction?

• Immediate conversion to urban development
• Progressive rehabilitation and soil amendment with native species replanting
• Permanent tailings storage without capping
• Leaving excavated pits open for natural colonization only

Correct Answer: Progressive rehabilitation and soil amendment with native species replanting

Q15. Which factor is most important when performing risk assessment for chemical spills from an on-site fuel storage tank near pharmaceutical production?

• Color of the tank paint
• Proximity to sensitive receptors, volume, chemical properties, and pathway analysis
• Employee dress code
• Brand of fuel supplier

Correct Answer: Proximity to sensitive receptors, volume, chemical properties, and pathway analysis

Q16. Which land remediation technique is particularly suited to removing organochlorine pesticides from contaminated agricultural soils near manufacturing sites?

• In-situ chemical oxidation or enhanced bioremediation with specific microbial consortia
• Simple mechanical tilling without amendments
• Surface watering to dilute contaminants
• Application of synthetic fertilizers only

Correct Answer: In-situ chemical oxidation or enhanced bioremediation with specific microbial consortia

Q17. Which indicator most reliably signals eutrophication risk in a lake receiving effluent from an industrial zone?

• High dissolved oxygen concentration throughout the water column
• Elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus with algal blooms
• Low turbidity and clear water
• Stable pH at neutral value

Correct Answer: Elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus with algal blooms

Q18. For energy production, which renewable option typically has the lowest direct chemical contamination risk to local groundwater when properly sited and managed?

• Coal-fired power plant
• Hydroelectric dam with proper design and sediment management
• Unlined oil shale extraction
• Open-cycle geothermal without reinjection

Correct Answer: Hydroelectric dam with proper design and sediment management

Q19. Which monitoring strategy is most appropriate for early detection of leachate migration from a closed landfill near a pharmaceutical facility?

• Annual visual inspections only
• Network of groundwater monitoring wells with periodic chemical analyses
• Soil moisture probes on the landfill cover only
• Remote wildlife population surveys exclusively

Correct Answer: Network of groundwater monitoring wells with periodic chemical analyses

Q20. Which integrated management practice best reduces cross-cutting hazards from resource extraction and energy production impacting public health?

• Siloed departmental responses without stakeholder engagement
• Implementation of an integrated environmental management system (EMS) with risk assessment, stakeholder consultation, and continuous monitoring
• Reactive cleanup only after incidents occur
• Relying solely on off-site compensation for affected communities

Correct Answer: Implementation of an integrated environmental management system (EMS) with risk assessment, stakeholder consultation, and continuous monitoring

Download