Land resources MCQs With Answer

Land resources MCQs With Answer give B. Pharm students a practical, focused review of land-use science and environmental issues relevant to pharmaceutical practice. This introduction covers soil composition, erosion, salinization, agrochemical contamination, landfill leachate, biosolid use, and remediation methods with emphasis on pharmaceutical environmental impact and safe waste disposal. It links sustainable land management, regulatory frameworks, and pollution pathways to everyday pharmacy responsibilities, such as proper disposal and risk assessment. These targeted MCQs help reinforce applied knowledge in soil health, environmental protection, and compliance. Now let’s test your knowledge with 50 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What is the topmost soil layer that is richest in organic matter and commonly supports plant growth?

• Subsoil (B horizon)
• Parent material (C horizon)
• Topsoil (A horizon)
• Bedrock

Correct Answer: Topsoil (A horizon)

Q2. Which process describes the removal of fertile topsoil by water or wind?

• Leaching
• Salinization
• Erosion
• Compaction

Correct Answer: Erosion

Q3. What term refers to the accumulation of soluble salts in soil, affecting crop productivity?

• Desiccation
• Salinization
• Acidification
• Alkalization

Correct Answer: Salinization

Q4. Which of the following is the most direct pathway for pharmaceutical contaminants to reach land after improper disposal?

• Atmospheric deposition from aerosols
• Leaching from landfill or septic systems
• Root uptake by crops from irrigation
• Direct UV degradation on pavement

Correct Answer: Leaching from landfill or septic systems

Q5. Which land management practice can reduce soil erosion on slopes?

• Monoculture planting
• Contour farming and terracing
• Tilling up and down the slope
• Removing vegetation to improve drainage

Correct Answer: Contour farming and terracing

Q6. What is the main environmental concern associated with applying untreated pharmaceutical-containing biosolids to agricultural land?

• Increased soil pH only
• Enhanced microbial activity always beneficial
• Introduction of antibiotic residues and resistant bacteria
• Immediate increase in crop yield without risks

Correct Answer: Introduction of antibiotic residues and resistant bacteria

Q7. Which soil property primarily determines water holding capacity and nutrient retention?

• Soil color
• Texture and organic matter content
• Depth to bedrock only
• Presence of earthworms solely

Correct Answer: Texture and organic matter content

Q8. Which regulatory concept requires manufacturers to minimize environmental impact of pharmaceutical products over their lifecycle?

• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) only
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Right-to-Know legislation
• Trade facilitation

Correct Answer: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Q9. What is a primary consequence of soil compaction in agricultural land?

• Increased pore space and aeration
• Reduced water infiltration and root growth
• Lower bulk density
• Higher organic matter content

Correct Answer: Reduced water infiltration and root growth

Q10. Which remediation technique uses plants to stabilize or extract contaminants from soil?

• Incineration
• Phytoremediation
• Landfilling
• Chemical oxidation in air

Correct Answer: Phytoremediation

Q11. Which term describes the gradual loss of soil fertility due to nutrient depletion and erosion?

• Land degradation
• Afforestation
• Reclamation
• Aggradation

Correct Answer: Land degradation

Q12. Which soil horizon typically contains partially decomposed organic material and is often thin or absent in cultivated soils?

• R horizon
• O horizon
• B horizon
• C horizon

Correct Answer: O horizon

Q13. What is the primary mechanism by which pesticides contaminate land adjacent to treated fields?

• Adsorption to soil particles only
• Runoff and spray drift
• Direct colonization by microbes
• Spontaneous photolysis within plant tissues

Correct Answer: Runoff and spray drift

Q14. Which soil amendment is commonly used to improve soil structure and increase organic content?

• Heavy metals
• Sand only
• Compost and manure
• Concrete dust

Correct Answer: Compost and manure

Q15. In assessing land suitability for a pharmaceutical waste disposal facility, which factor is most critical?

• Proximity to entertainment centers
• Hydrogeology and groundwater vulnerability
• Local fashion trends
• Soil color aesthetics

Correct Answer: Hydrogeology and groundwater vulnerability

Q16. Which practice reduces risk of agrochemical contamination of land and water?

• Over-application of pesticides
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Use of banned organochlorines
• Spraying during high wind

Correct Answer: Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Q17. What is leachate in the context of landfills?

• A type of beneficial fertilizer
• Liquid that drains from waste and can contaminate soil and groundwater
• Gaseous emissions trapped in soil
• Compacted solid waste layer

Correct Answer: Liquid that drains from waste and can contaminate soil and groundwater

Q18. Which indicator is commonly used to assess soil microbial health and activity?

• Soil microbial biomass carbon
• Soil color only
• Depth to bedrock solely
• Ambient air temperature

Correct Answer: Soil microbial biomass carbon

Q19. What role do buffer strips and vegetative barriers play near pharmaceutical manufacturing sites?

• They increase evaporation rates
• They act as physical and biological filters to reduce runoff and erosion
• They block sunlight to reduce photodegradation
• They accelerate slope failure

Correct Answer: They act as physical and biological filters to reduce runoff and erosion

Q20. Which of the following is a consequence of improper disposal of expired medicines into household trash?

• No environmental impact at all
• Potential soil contamination and drug residues entering landfills
• Immediate microbial remediation of all drugs
• Transformation of medicines into harmless nutrients

Correct Answer: Potential soil contamination and drug residues entering landfills

Q21. Which measurement describes the proportion of sand, silt, and clay in a soil?

• Soil pH
• Soil texture
• Soil electrical conductivity
• Soil porosity only

Correct Answer: Soil texture

Q22. What is the main goal of land reclamation after contamination or mining?

• To permanently prevent plant growth
• To restore ecological function and safe land use
• To increase contamination levels for research
• To convert land to impermeable surfaces only

Correct Answer: To restore ecological function and safe land use

Q23. Which international organization provides guidance on land degradation and desertification?

• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Interpol

Correct Answer: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Q24. Which soil parameter is most relevant when evaluating the mobility of ionic pharmaceutical compounds?

• Soil organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity
• Soil color
• Surface slope only
• Local vegetation species exclusively

Correct Answer: Soil organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity

Q25. Which practice helps prevent pharmaceutical contamination in agricultural land irrigated with reclaimed water?

• No pre-treatment of reclaimed water
• Monitoring and advanced treatment to remove micropollutants
• Direct discharge of hospital effluent into irrigation canals
• Application of untreated biosolids only

Correct Answer: Monitoring and advanced treatment to remove micropollutants

Q26. What is bioremediation?

• Physical removal of soil only
• Use of biological organisms to degrade contaminants
• Permanent immobilization by concrete
• Thermal destruction by burning soil

Correct Answer: Use of biological organisms to degrade contaminants

Q27. Which value indicates soil acidity and can influence chemical stability of drugs in soil?

• Soil texture class
• Soil pH
• Soil depth
• Soil color

Correct Answer: Soil pH

Q28. Which is a common indicator of heavy metal contamination in soils near industrial or pharmaceutical sites?

• Elevated concentrations of lead, cadmium, or mercury
• Increased soil pH only
• Higher earthworm counts always
• Lower clay content exclusively

Correct Answer: Elevated concentrations of lead, cadmium, or mercury

Q29. Which practice is recommended for safe pharmacy take-back programs to protect land resources?

• Incineration without emissions control
• Collecting and managing returned medicines through licensed waste handlers
• Dumping medications in municipal drains
• Encouraging disposal in household composts

Correct Answer: Collecting and managing returned medicines through licensed waste handlers

Q30. What does the term “soil adsorption” refer to in contaminant behavior?

• Contaminants dissolving exclusively in soil water
• Contaminant molecules attaching to soil particle surfaces
• Volatilization of contaminants into air
• Complete degradation by sunlight

Correct Answer: Contaminant molecules attaching to soil particle surfaces

Q31. Which agricultural practice improves soil organic carbon and long-term fertility?

• Continuous deep plowing without cover crops
• Conservation tillage and cover cropping
• Frequent burning of crop residues
• Removal of all organic residues

Correct Answer: Conservation tillage and cover cropping

Q32. Which factor most influences the biodegradation rate of pharmaceuticals in soil?

• Soil microbial community and environmental conditions
• Packaging material of the drug only
• Color of the soil exclusively
• Phase of the moon

Correct Answer: Soil microbial community and environmental conditions

Q33. Which practice is important to reduce the impact of accidental chemical spills on land?

• Immediate containment and remediation
• Waiting 24 hours before action
• Spreading spill to larger area
• Ignoring spills if small

Correct Answer: Immediate containment and remediation

Q34. Which soil indicator is used to estimate salinity and potential plant stress?

• Soil electrical conductivity (EC)
• Soil magnetic susceptibility
• Soil hue only
• Soil nitrate content exclusively

Correct Answer: Soil electrical conductivity (EC)

Q35. Which land-use change is most associated with increased erosion and sedimentation?

• Conversion of forest to intensive cropland without conservation
• Reforesting degraded slopes
• Establishing grass buffer strips
• Adopting no-till practices

Correct Answer: Conversion of forest to intensive cropland without conservation

Q36. Which monitoring parameter helps detect pharmaceuticals in soil environments?

• Targeted analytical screening for specific APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients)
• Only measuring soil moisture
• Counting soil macrofauna only
• Recording air temperature exclusively

Correct Answer: Targeted analytical screening for specific APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients)

Q37. What is the major advantage of using permeable reactive barriers for contaminated groundwater near landfills?

• They permanently block groundwater flow
• They treat contaminants in situ as water passes through reactive media
• They increase contaminant mobility
• They convert groundwater to drinking water instantly

Correct Answer: They treat contaminants in situ as water passes through reactive media

Q38. Which soil conservation method enhances infiltration and reduces surface runoff?

• Creating compacted bare strips
• Mulching and adding organic matter
• Increasing impervious surfaces
• Burning crop residues

Correct Answer: Mulching and adding organic matter

Q39. Which is a common effect of excessive irrigation on soil quality?

• Improved drainage universally
• Waterlogging and increased salinity risk
• Instantly higher organic content
• Reduced capillary rise only

Correct Answer: Waterlogging and increased salinity risk

Q40. Which concept emphasizes minimizing environmental impact at the design stage of pharmaceutical products?

• Eco-design or green chemistry principles
• Planned obsolescence
• Maximal packaging
• Exclusive marketing focus

Correct Answer: Eco-design or green chemistry principles

Q41. Which practice reduces transport of contaminated sediments into water bodies from agricultural lands?

• Removing riparian vegetation
• Establishing riparian buffer zones
• Channelizing streams with concrete
• Increasing slope steepness

Correct Answer: Establishing riparian buffer zones

Q42. What does “land capability classification” assess?

• Suitability of land for various uses based on soil and terrain
• Market value of property only
• Temperature profile alone
• Historical land ownership

Correct Answer: Suitability of land for various uses based on soil and terrain

Q43. Which practice in pharmaceutical manufacturing reduces the likelihood of soil contamination from spills?

• Open-air storage of chemicals
• Secondary containment and spill control systems
• Unlined chemical pits
• Discharging waste on bare soil

Correct Answer: Secondary containment and spill control systems

Q44. Which soil amendment can help neutralize acidic soils and reduce mobility of some metals?

• Elemental sulfur
• Lime (calcium carbonate)
• Sodium chloride
• Hydrochloric acid

Correct Answer: Lime (calcium carbonate)

Q45. Which is an example of a non-point source of land pollution?

• A single industrial effluent pipe
• Agricultural runoff carrying pesticides and nutrients
• Discharge from a municipal wastewater treatment outfall
• Direct illegal dumping at a single location

Correct Answer: Agricultural runoff carrying pesticides and nutrients

Q46. What is the significance of cation exchange capacity (CEC) in soils?

• It measures soil color variability
• It reflects the soil’s ability to hold and exchange nutrient cations
• It is unrelated to nutrient retention
• It indicates only water content

Correct Answer: It reflects the soil’s ability to hold and exchange nutrient cations

Q47. Which land restoration technique adds clean soil material to cover contaminated surfaces and reduce exposure?

• Excavation and removal only
• Capping with clean fill
• Open-air burning
• Subsurface injection of raw waste

Correct Answer: Capping with clean fill

Q48. Which soil management approach helps limit pesticide leaching to groundwater?

• Applying pesticides before heavy rain with no safeguards
• Using controlled release formulations and proper timing
• Excessive irrigation immediately after application
• Broadcasting high doses with no buffer zones

Correct Answer: Using controlled release formulations and proper timing

Q49. Which term describes the long-term loss of soil carbon and decline in soil fertility caused by intensive cropping without replenishment?

• Soil amelioration
• Soil mining
• Afforestation
• Horticulture

Correct Answer: Soil mining

Q50. Which stakeholder action is most important to protect land resources from pharmaceutical pollution?

• Ignoring proper disposal guidance
• Implementing strict waste segregation, take-back programs, and regulated disposal
• Encouraging dumping of expired drugs in landfills without controls
• Removing environmental oversight

Correct Answer: Implementing strict waste segregation, take-back programs, and regulated disposal

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