Pollution

Three human activities are given below. Which of these activities could bring about the change shown in the graph?

Feb/March 2016

When nitrogenous fertiliser is used carelessly close to rivers and lakes, eutrophication may occur. This leads to fish dying. What directly causes the fish to die?

Feb/March 2016

Which graph illustrates how pollution from untreated sewage affects the amount of oxygen dissolved in a river?

Feb/March 2017

What graph illustrates the effect of pollution from untreated sewage on the amount of oxygen dissolved in a river?

Feb/March 2017

Methane is a gas that adds to the greenhouse effect. Which human activity produces methane?

Feb/March 2018

Which stage of sewage treatment gets rid of large floating items, such as plastic bags?

Feb/March 2018

The flow diagram illustrates a process that may happen because of pollution in a river. Which term names the process shown in the flow diagram?

Feb/March 2018

At which treatment stage of sewage are large floating items, such as plastic bags, removed?

Feb/March 2018

Which option gives the correct order of events in the eutrophication of a river or lake?

Feb/March 2019

Pollution means damage to the environment caused by substances released through human activities.

Feb/March 2019

The diagram indicates the locations of four farms and the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have applied excessive fertiliser to its land?

Feb/March 2020

The diagram indicates the locations of four farms and the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been applying too much fertiliser to its land?

Feb/March 2020

The left-hand box contains the words ‘intensive livestock farming’. The boxes on the right show several possible sentence endings. Draw two lines from the box on the left so that two correct sentences are formed.

Feb/March 2020

What does screening remove during the treatment of sewage?

Feb/March 2021

Sewage that has not been treated is released by accident into a river for several weeks. What effect will this have on the number of bacteria, the oxygen concentration in the water, and the number of fish?

Feb/March 2023

Fig. 6.1 presents the worldwide total mass of plastics waste generated since 2000 and the destination of that plastic. The figures for 2020 to 2050 are projections and appear as dashed lines on Fig. 6.1.

Feb/March 2024

Which statement concerning non-biodegradable plastics in aquatic environments is correct?

Feb/March 2025

The diagram indicates where four farms are located and the nitrate concentrations measured at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been applying excess fertiliser to its land?

May/June 2016

The diagram shows the locations of four farms and the nitrate concentrations at different points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been using too much fertiliser on its land?

May/June 2016

The diagram indicates where four farms are located and gives the nitrate concentrations at various locations along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been applying excessive fertiliser to its land?

May/June 2016

The diagram indicates where four farms are located and shows the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have used too much fertiliser on its land?

May/June 2016

The diagram illustrates where four farms are located and shows the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have used excessive fertiliser on its land?

May/June 2016

A substantial quantity of herbicide is sprayed onto a field. However, some of the herbicide is carried by runoff into a nearby lake. What effect does the herbicide have on the weeds in the field and on the plants in the lake?

May/June 2016

If fertiliser pollutes a river, the following changes can happen. 1 greater aerobic respiration by decomposers 2 greater growth of producers 3 lower oxygen concentration in the water Which is the correct order for these changes?

May/June 2016

The diagram gives the locations of four farms and the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been applying too much fertiliser to its land?

May/June 2016

The graph illustrates the amounts of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At which point does raw sewage flow into the river?

May/June 2017

The graph illustrates the levels of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At what point does raw sewage enter the river?

May/June 2017

The graph illustrates the amounts of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At what point does raw sewage enter the river?

May/June 2017

The graph illustrates the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At which point does raw sewage flow into the river?

May/June 2017

The graph displays the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At which point does raw sewage flow into the river?

May/June 2017

The graph illustrates the amounts of dissolved oxygen and mineral ions in a river. At which point does raw sewage flow into the river?

May/June 2017

Acid rain causes harmful effects in many ecosystems.

May/June 2017

Apart from carbon dioxide, which other gas is mainly responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effect?

May/June 2018

What could count as a source of air pollution?

May/June 2018

From 1970 onwards, sulfur dioxide emissions have fallen by 95% in some areas of the world. What is the chief reason for this decrease in emissions?

May/June 2018

In what way does eutrophication cause aquatic organisms to die?

May/June 2018

Fig. 7.1 comes from a newspaper article on pollution called 'How safe is your water?'.

May/June 2018

Evidence indicates that some aquatic organisms have become feminised. What is the most probable cause of this?

May/June 2019

Tiny fragments of plastic, known as microplastics, are present in many products, including soaps and toothpaste. Fig. 3.1 shows toothpaste that has microplastics in it.

May/June 2019

What factors are thought to have caused sea levels to rise?

May/June 2021

Eutrophication starts when the concentration of nitrate ions and other ions in water rises. The stages involved in eutrophication are given below. Which is the correct sequence?

May/June 2021

Large amounts of plastic waste are contaminating the oceans. A survey released in March 2018 reported the rise in plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean. A section of the Pacific Ocean is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Data were gathered from locations within and beyond the GPGP between 1965 and 2015 to estimate how much plastic waste there was. The findings are shown in Fig. 2.1.

May/June 2021

Treating sewage lowers water pollution.

May/June 2022

Acid rain has wiped out many forests, including the one shown in Fig. 3.1.

May/June 2022

The bloodworm is an organism found in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram illustrates the point at which raw sewage enters a river. Where would the number of bloodworms be lowest?

May/June 2023

The diagram presents the findings of a survey into the kinds of animals found along a section of river close to a factory. Which animal lives in water that is least polluted?

May/June 2023

Three human activities are shown. 1 burning fossil fuels 2 deforestation 3 replanting forests Which of these activities could lead to the change illustrated by the graph?

May/June 2023

Bloodworms are organisms that live in water that is very badly polluted. The diagram indicates the point at which raw sewage enters a river. At which location would the number of bloodworms be the lowest?

May/June 2023

The diagram shows the locations of four farms and the nitrate concentrations at various points along a river. Which farm is most likely to have been using too much fertiliser on its land?

May/June 2023

The diagram illustrates several effects of human activity on a river. What might have caused these effects?

May/June 2023

Describe what Fig. 6.1 shows.

May/June 2023

State one source of methane gas.

May/June 2023

How does sewage pollution affect biodiversity and the number of bacteria in a river?

May/June 2024

Which gases, when their concentrations rise, contribute to an enhanced greenhouse effect?

May/June 2024

Which two gases increase the greenhouse effect?

May/June 2024

The diagram indicates four locations along a river at which water samples were collected. Which graph shows the oxygen concentrations in the river?

May/June 2025

Which pollution source can lead to eutrophication?

May/June 2025

Discarded plastics are one cause of pollution in oceans. Macroplastics have diameters of 0.5 cm and above. Microplastics have diameters below 0.5 cm. Fig. 7.1 shows the mass of plastic pollution from macroplastics and microplastics in shallow coastal waters between 1950 and 2010.

May/June 2025

Which farming activity does not cause pollution in nearby rivers?

Oct/Nov 2016

The diagram presents the findings of a survey on the kinds of animals present along a section of river close to a factory. Which of the following animals is found in the water with the highest pollution level?

Oct/Nov 2016

The diagram presents the findings from a survey of the kinds of animals present along a section of river close to a factory. Which of the following animals inhabits the most polluted water?

Oct/Nov 2016

The diagram presents the results of a survey on the types of animals found along a section of river near a factory. Which of the following animals lives in the most polluted water?

Oct/Nov 2016

Fertiliser enters a river and causes eutrophication. In which sequence do the events occur that result in the river animals dying?

Oct/Nov 2016

A farmer applied some fertiliser to his field. Some of the fertiliser washed into a nearby lake. What effect will the fertiliser have on the growth of the crop plants in the field and the plants in the lake?

Oct/Nov 2017

The table lists the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere in three separate years. years: 1930, 1980, 1990 carbon dioxide concentration / parts per million: 300, 330, 370 What is the most likely reason for this increase?

Oct/Nov 2017

The table displays the quantity of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere in three separate years. year: 1930, 1980, 1990 carbon dioxide / parts per million: 300, 330, 370 What is the most probable cause of this change?

Oct/Nov 2017

The table gives the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for three different years. Year: 1930, carbon dioxide: $300$ parts per million Year: 1980, carbon dioxide: $330$ parts per million Year: 1990, carbon dioxide: $370$ parts per million What is the most likely reason for this change?

Oct/Nov 2017

Examples of waste materials produced by human activities include discarded domestic rubbish, surplus fertiliser, industrial chemicals and untreated sewage. Which of these can each lead to greater growth of aquatic plants?

Oct/Nov 2017

The table indicates how well three fish species, and their eggs, can survive in water with different pH values. If the eggs fail to survive, no offspring will be produced. A lake with a pH of 6.0 has breeding populations of all three fish species. If acid rain lowers the pH to 5.0, which result would probably happen?

Oct/Nov 2017

Which of these is a greenhouse gas?

Oct/Nov 2018

Which activity is least likely to cause pollution?

Oct/Nov 2018

Plastic fragments with sizes from $1\,\mu\text{m}$ to $1\,\text{mm}$ are known as microplastics. Microplastics are added to some face creams and are also generated when clothing is made. They are now being detected in rising amounts in oceans around the world. Apart from their tiny size, what other feature of microplastics makes them harmful to living organisms?

Oct/Nov 2018

The statements outline several of the events that happen during eutrophication. Which factor is directly responsible for the rise in bacteria?

Oct/Nov 2018

The energy that we consume is obtained from a range of different sources. Fig. 5.1 presents the percentage share of each energy source used in one country in 2011.

Oct/Nov 2018

Describe the negative effects of intensive livestock production on an ecosystem.

Oct/Nov 2018

Water is a vital molecule in every living organism.

Oct/Nov 2018

A bloodworm is an organism found in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram shows the point at which raw sewage enters a river. At which location would the number of bloodworms be the lowest?

Oct/Nov 2019

A bloodworm is an organism found in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram illustrates raw sewage entering a river. In which place would the number of bloodworms be lowest?

Oct/Nov 2019

A bloodworm is an organism that lives in water with severe pollution. The diagram shows a river into which raw sewage is discharged. In which location would bloodworms be least abundant?

Oct/Nov 2019

A bloodworm is an organism living in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram shows the point at which raw sewage enters a river. At which place would bloodworms be least numerous?

Oct/Nov 2019

A bloodworm is an organism found in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram shows the point at which raw sewage enters a river. At which location would there be the smallest number of bloodworms?

Oct/Nov 2019

The bloodworm is an organism found in water that is heavily polluted. The diagram illustrates the point at which raw sewage enters a river. In which place would there be the smallest number of bloodworms?

Oct/Nov 2019

Sewage is made up of water plus other materials, and it should be treated before being discharged into a river.

Oct/Nov 2019

What is one consequence of a rise in the use of insecticides?

Oct/Nov 2021

What is one consequence of a rise in the use of insecticides?

Oct/Nov 2021

The graphs illustrate the changes that happen in a lake as eutrophication takes place. What are the labels for W, X and Y?

Oct/Nov 2021

If the nitrate concentration in a lake rises, fish may die because of the events shown below. 1 greater aerobic respiration by decomposers 2 greater decomposition of dead producers 3 greater growth of producers 4 a decrease in dissolved oxygen Which sequence of events would result in the fish dying?

Oct/Nov 2021

Identify the processes labelled A to D in Fig. 2.1.

Oct/Nov 2021

The diagram illustrates a sewage treatment process. What structure is X?

Oct/Nov 2022

Leatherback turtle numbers in one section of the Pacific Ocean were tracked across several years. The population estimates were recorded and the outcomes are shown in Fig. 3.1.

Oct/Nov 2022

Over 11 days, researchers examined water pollution at the middle of a lake.

Oct/Nov 2022

The diagram indicates where a farmer’s field is located beside a river. The farmer uses chemical fertilisers that run off into the river, polluting it. Large amounts of the chemical fertiliser lead to greater growth of aquatic plants. At which point is aquatic plant growth least influenced by fertilisers?

Oct/Nov 2023

In eutrophication, what leads to fish dying?

Oct/Nov 2023

Lichens are organisms that do not thrive in polluted air. Which graph shows how the number of lichen species changes from the centre of a polluted city to the unpolluted countryside 15 km away?

Oct/Nov 2024

The graph illustrates how waste is disposed of in three cities. Which statement describes waste disposal in all three cities?

Oct/Nov 2024

A farmer has a small pond on their farmland. In one year, most of the organisms in the pond die. In the following year, the farmer reduces the use of nitrate fertilisers and fewer organisms in the pond die. Which statement explains why this will help to increase the number of organisms living in the pond?

Oct/Nov 2024

Which substance counts as a greenhouse gas?

Oct/Nov 2025

Weeds are growing among a crop. What could be used to destroy the weeds?

Oct/Nov 2025

Which substance is a source of water pollution that carries pathogens?

Oct/Nov 2025

Eutrophication leads to a decrease in dissolved oxygen in streams and lakes. What is the cause of this decrease in dissolved oxygen?

Oct/Nov 2025