Central and State Pollution Control Board recruitment (Scientist, Environmental Engineer, AEE) · India · Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards / state PSCs
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersAir pollutants, their health and crop effects, standards and indices, dispersion, and control equipment, plus noise. Agricultural sources (residue burning, ammonia, dust, odour) are covered here alongside the industrial ones GATE ES examines.
In the exams: GATE ES Section 6 (whole section, numerical); ICAR AICE subject 71 Unit 3; UGC NET Unit 6; state pollution control board recruitment
How our questions for Central and State Pollution Control Board recruitment spread across the units of Air & Noise Pollution: Monitoring & Control. Difficulty: 10 easy, 11 medium, 2 hard.
| Criteria pollutants, ambient and emission standards | 5 | |
| Air quality indices and visibility | 3 | |
| Particulate control: settling chambers, cyclones, wet scrubbers, fabric filters, ESP | 3 | |
| Control of SOx, NOx, CO and hydrocarbons; vehicle emissions | 3 | |
| Emission inventories for point, line and area sources | 3 | |
| Noise: sources, effects, standards, measurement and control | 3 | |
| Sources and classification of air pollutants; primary and secondary | 2 | |
| Gaussian plume dispersion modelling | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
A busy highway is treated in emission inventories as a
D. line source
Roads are line sources; stacks are point sources; many small diffuse sources are area sources.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
According to India's NAAQS (2009), what is the 24-hour standard for PM2.5?
B. 60 µg/m³
PM2.5: 40 annual, 60 24-hour. 100 is the PM10 24-hour standard; 15 is the WHO 2021 24-hour guideline.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
How many pollutants are covered by India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards of 2009?
A. 12
Twelve pollutants; six is the number of US criteria pollutants; eight are used in India's AQI.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
Under India's NAAQS (2009), which pollutant has an annual standard expressed in ng/m³ rather than µg/m³?
C. Benzo(a)pyrene
Benzo(a)pyrene (1 ng/m³), arsenic (6) and nickel (20) are in ng/m³; NH3, NO2 and SO2 are in µg/m³.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
Using India's PM10 breakpoints (51–100 µg/m³ maps to 51–100), what is the sub-index for PM10 of 80 µg/m³?
C. About 80
In this band the index equals the concentration: (100 − 51)/(100 − 51) × (80 − 51) + 51 = 80.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
Which formula has been used in India to set minimum stack height from SO2 emission rate Q (kg/h)?
C. H = 14Q^0.3
CPCB guidelines used H = 14Q^0.3 metres, with a minimum height for many industries.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
In wet limestone flue gas desulphurisation, the main by-product is
B. gypsum, calcium sulphate
SO2 reacts with limestone and is oxidised to gypsum, usable in wallboard and cement.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
Why do non-exhaust particles remain a concern even with electric vehicles?
D. Brake, tyre and road dust remain
Non-exhaust sources are independent of the powertrain.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
A plant burns 1000 tonnes of coal per day containing 0.5 per cent sulphur. Assuming all sulphur is emitted as SO2, how much SO2 is emitted per day?
A. 10 tonnes
S = 1000 × 0.005 = 5 t; SO2 = 2 × 5 = 10 t (64/32). 5 forgets the factor 2; 20 doubles twice; 0.5 slips.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
Under India's Noise Rules, a silence zone extends at least how far around hospitals, educational institutions and courts?
D. 100 metres
Silence zones cover at least 100 m around such premises.
Further reading: See the manual sources: de Nevers; Cooper & Alley; CPCB NAAQS and AQI; WHO 2021 AQG; Noise Rules 2000
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