Day-733 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT

Answer. A
Explanation:
Both statements are correct and statement II explains statement I: In November, 2023, 147 Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury gathered in Geneva for the 5th Conference of the Parties (COP-5) and adopted a 2025 treaty phase-out date for mercury-added cosmetics. COP-5 decisions also seek to address the manufacture and trade in mercury compounds and mercury-added cosmetics. These proposals were set forth by the African region, Canada, and the United States, respectively.
Parties agreed on a new requirement to advance the phase-down of dental amalgam and, as of 2025, no mercury level will be allowed in cosmetics. They also decided to amend Annex B with a 2025 phase-out date for the production of polyurethane using mercury catalysts.
Reason: The use of mercury in skin lightening creams has risen tremendously and the levels of mercury found in fairness creams breach the safe limits – in some instances, 10,000 times above the permissible limit of 1 ppm. A series of cases have been reported wherein the use of fairness creams has been linked to nephrotic syndrome.
Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal which is used in fairness/anti-ageing creams as in its inorganic form (mercury salts) it can inhibit the formation of melanin resulting in a lighter skin tone. The higher the levels of mercury in face creams, the better the whitening effect.
Chronic mercury poisoning from cosmetics is often missed because different organs and tissues respond differently to mercury, resulting in atypical clinical presentations. Physicians need to be made more aware of the possibility of mercury poisoning when patients present with non-specific symptoms like pain, fatigue, cognitive decline or systemic issues like membranous nephropathy. Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune disease resulting in nephrotic syndrome, a condition when too much protein is released into the urine (proteinuria), ultimately resulting in renal failure.

Answer. B
Explanation:
Like hibernation, torpor is a survival tactic used by animals to survive the winter months. It also involves a lower body temperature, breathing rate, heart rate, and metabolic rate. But unlike hibernation, torpor appears to be an involuntary state that an animal enters into as the conditions dictate. Also, unlike hibernation, torpor lasts for short periods of time – sometimes just through the night or day depending upon the feeding pattern of the animal.
Animals that are known to undergo torpor include:
● Some birds (such as hummingbirds, swifts, nightjars, nighthawks, etc.)
● Some mammals (such as marsupial species, bats, squirrels, etc.)
● Some fish (such as pond fish, etc.)
Reptiles and amphibians undergo a similar mechanism of brumation during the cold months.
Source- Miscellaneous

Answer. C
Explanation:
Statements 1 and 4 are correct: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (Government of India) along with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched “Trees Outside Forests (TOF) in India” initiative on September 8, 2022 to enhance carbon sequestration, support local communities, and strengthen the climate resilience of agriculture.
● USAID’s forestry activities in India are part of the Forestry Pillar of the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue in support of the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership.
● Trees Outside Forests in India initiative is announced to increase tree coverage outside of forest lands in India and is designed to bring together farmers, companies, and private institutions to expand tree coverage in the country.
● Thus, it is expected to boost agroforestry through involvement of farmers. According to the Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) website, trees grow beyond forests as well as in farms, pastures, meadows, parks, cities, along roads, rivers and across other non-forested landscapes. These trees outside of traditional or designated ‘forest’ areas are categorized as ‘Trees Outside Forests’. They play a vital role in the ecosystem by providing clean air, water and habitat for animals.
● Led by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), the five-year program seeks to scale up trees outside forests in India for the benefit of livelihoods and the ecosystem.
Statement 2 is correct: The tree outside forest (ToF) refers to all trees growing outside recorded forest areas. The patches of 1 ha and above outside the recorded forest area and Tree Cover, both constitute the ToF.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The project will be implemented in only 7 states of India- Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Answer. C
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: A new set of amendments to Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 has been made in the form of India’s Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, which distinguish between biodegradable and compostable plastics to address the menace of microplastic pollution and promote circular plastic economy.
● The amended Rules define biodegradable plastics as not only capable of “…degradation by biological processes in specific environments such as soil, landfill…” but also as materials that do not leave “any microplastics…” Biodegradable plastic involves plastic goods being treated before they are sold. When discarded, the material is expected to decompose naturally over time though there are no tests yet to determine if such plastics completely degrade.
● Compostable plastics, on the other hand, do degrade, but require industrial or large municipal waste management facilities to do so.
Statement 2 is correct: Microplastics are defined as any solid plastic particle insoluble in water, with dimensions between 1 µm and 1,000 µm (1 µm is one-thousandth of a millimetre). In recent years, they have been reported as a major source of pollution affecting rivers and oceans. The following are some of the health concerns due to microplastics:
● Exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics via ingestion can lead to their translocation through the gastrointestinal tract and potential accumulation in tissues. Studies have shown that these particles may cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and histological changes in the intestines of animals.
● The size and concentration of microplastics can affect their toxicological impact on lung cells, thus, they easily penetrate the lungs of humans and aggravate respiratory ailments.
● Furthermore, the presence of microplastics in lymph nodes and blood circulation raises concerns about their long-term impact on immune function and overall health.
● Exposure to these particles has been linked to cellular damage and inflammation in brain tissue, raising concerns about their potential role in the development of neurological disorders.
● Studies have shown that microplastics can cross the placental barrier and accumulate in foetal tissues, potentially leading to developmental abnormalities and embryotoxicity.

Answer. D
Explanation:
Option d is correct.
The influential model of island biogeography proposed by MacArthur & Wilson posits that island area and isolation influence species richness through the balance between the opposing forces of extinction and immigration. Lower extinction and higher immigration rates are expected on larger and less isolated islands, as they can support larger population sizes and are easier targets for propagules (i.e. target-area effect) that can colonize or repeatedly immigrate to the island (i.e. rescue effect) . Over long time periods, speciation also plays a role in generating insular biodiversity. Speciation rates are greater on larger isolated islands due to greater opportunities for intra-island isolation and the limited gene flow with the mainland or nearby islands.
Thus, the rate at which new endemic species originate increases with isolation and area because of the greater chance for allopatric speciation in response to low migration and gene flow with the additional chance for intra-island speciation due to area-effects. As a result, species richness and endemism should scale positively with area, whereas isolation should have opposing effects, relating positively with endemism but negatively with richness.