Day-685 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT

Answer. D
Explanation:
Statement D is incorrect: India prohibited the use of nonylphenol in cosmetic products since 2009 but it still lacks regulation on its use in surfactants, other consumer products etc. This chemical is still not banned in India.
Statements A, B and C are correct:
● Nonylphenol is commonly used in the production of Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs). NPEs are used as surfactants as well as in day-to-day consumer products such as detergents, wetting agents and dispersants.
● Nonylphenol is a highly used chemical, mainly as an intermediate in the production of phenol/formaldehyde resins, in the manufacturing of nonylphenol ethoxylates, raw material for surfactants, additives in fuels and lubricant.
● Nonlyphenol is known to contaminate the drinking water and make it toxic.
● It is known to be an endocrine disruptor and potentially carcinogenic.
● In India, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has set standards for phenolic compounds in drinking water (1 ppb) and surface water (5 parts per million (ppm)).
However, at present, there are no standards exclusively for nonylphenols in drinking and surface waters in India.
● Nonylphenol persists in aquatic environments and is moderately bioaccumulative.
● It is not readily biodegradable, and it can take months or longer to degrade in surface waters, soils, and sediments.
● Bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol (NP), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are the common monomers and additives used primarily to improve the quality of plastic materials. They are used as antioxidants, stabilizers, plasticizers, and flame retardants in plastics.
● The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has also designated nonylphenol as a chemical of global concern.

Answer. B
Explanation:
Statements I and II are correct. Statement II, however, is not the reason behind statement I: Brumation is the name to describe a period of dormancy or slowed activity in cold-blooded animals (reptiles and amphibians only), much like hibernation in mammals. It typically occurs during colder months, when temperatures drop and food becomes scarce. Reptiles and amphibians enter a state of brumation to conserve energy and survive these adverse environmental conditions.
During brumation, reptiles and amphibians may retreat to underground burrows, rock crevices or other sheltered areas where temperatures are relatively more stable. Their metabolism slows significantly, allowing them to go weeks or even months without eating. This period of reduced activity allows reptiles to conserve energy and minimise their resource requirements.
Brumation is different from hibernation in the sense that animals who brumate have sleeping and waking cycles as opposed to long sleep cycles involved in hibernation. During brumation, animals can wake up on random warm days to bask in sun and drink water to avoid dehydration. Thus, brumation can be commonly seen in reptiles such as snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators and amphibians such as salamanders, etc.
Since reptiles and amphibians are cold-blooded, they can not control their metabolic reaction to the environment. Thus, during winters, they prefer to go into a state of temporary dormancy known as brumation.

Answer. D
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Majority of the mammals are viviparous, which means they give birth to live young ones. But there are some exceptions to this viviparous character. Monotremes are the only known group of living mammals that lay eggs, rather than bearing live young. The extant monotreme species are the platypus and the four species of echidnas.
Statement 2 is correct: Carnivores-dogs, cats, bears, raccoons, weasels and seals, etc.-are meat eating mammals totalling more than 260 living species worldwide. The most common examples of herbivore mammals include elephants, Giant panda, Hippopotamus, goats, horse, okapi, rhinoceros, etc. Thus, we can conclude that mammals may be herbivores or carnivores.
Statement 3 is correct: Most reptiles are oviparous. Only some lizards and snakes such as boas, rattlesnakes, and water snakes are viviparous.
Statement 4 is correct: Reptiles that are herbivores include Aquatic Turtle, Argentina Tortoise, Chuckwalla, Desert Iguana, and Desert Tortoise. Reptiles that are herbivores have a number of adaptations that allow them to thrive on a vegetarian diet. For example, they often have longer intestines than their carnivorous counterparts, which allows them to digest plant matter more efficiently.
Source- Miscellaneous

Answer. A
Statement 1 is correct: The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate or AIM for Climate-AIM4C was launched by the UAE and the USA at UNFCCC Conference of Parties-26 (COP26) and includes Israel as a partner among 140 other governmental and non-governmental entities. AIM4C seeks to address climate change and global hunger by uniting partners to significantly increase the investment in and other support for climate smart agriculture and food systems innovation for the period of five years (2021-2025).
Statement 2 is incorrect: India is not a founding member of the AIM4C. Rather, India joined the alliance on 22 February, 2023 on the margins of I2U2 Business Forum.
There are three avenues for participation in the AIM for Climate coalition:
● Government partner
● Knowledge partner (non-government participants)
● Innovation Sprint partner (non-government participants, such as private research, education and extension institutions and international organizations, companies, or other NGOs)

Answer. C
Explanation: Options 1, 2, and 4 are correct.
Nematocysts are found in some animals but especially jellyfish, corals, sea anemones and hydras that serve as potent weapons to hunt prey and fend off predators.
Each nematocyst consists of a capsule containing a coiled, thread-like tubule and a bulbous structure with toxins. When stressed, the nematocyst rapidly ejects the tubule often with an acceleration surpassing that of a bullet. Indeed, this mechanism is one of the fastest processes in the animal kingdom.

Nematocysts play a crucial role in the feeding and defence strategies of cnidarians in particular. Cnidarians are animals that contain cells called cnidocytes. When potential prey comes into contact with a cnidocyte, specialised sensory structures on the cell’s surface trigger the release of the nematocyst.