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Name:.En.No.:....Batch:Sl.No.:..
Date:...Sign.(Student):.....Sign.(Invigilator):....
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Roorkee 247 667
End Term Examination II
(Autumn Semester; Session 2013-14)
B.Tech. I Year; CE105: Introduction to Environmental Studies
Time: 1 1/2 Hour

Max. Marks: 80

Notes: i) All questions are compulsory, ii) Wherever necessary, clarify assumptions and write
answers in the appropriate units.
Important Formulae
log BCF = 0.79 log ( K OW ) 0.4 = 0.79 log (130 ) 0.4
%COHb = (1- e-t) (CO)
Where, %COHb = Carboxyhemoglobin as % saturation; CO = Carbonmonoxide conc. in
ppm; = 0.402 h-1; = 0.15 %/ ppm CO; and t = exposure time in hours
2
E 1 y 1 H
(x, y,0, H ) =
exp exp
s y s z u 2 s y 2 s z

z
u2 = u1 2
z1

PART A (15x1=15 Marks) Multiple Choice Questions

(Note: Tick the right answer only; multiple tick or cross marks will be considered as wrong
answer)
1. The Kow is the ratio of the contaminant's concentration in the
a) aqueous phase to its concentration in the oil phase
b) aqueous phase to its concentration in the octanol phase
c) oil phase to its concentration in the aqueous phase
d) octanol phase to its concentration in the aqueous phase
2. Transport sector is the major source of
a) CO
b) SO2
c) Ammonia

d) Methane

3. Photochemical smog formation is maximum at

a) 12.00 midnight b) 5.00 a.m. c) 12.00 noon

d) 5.00 p.m.

4. Which is not a primary pollutant?

a) CFC
b) CO

d) O3

c) NO

5. Dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) is approximately

a) -1.00C/10m
b) -1.00C/100m
c) -1.00C/1000m
d) -1.00C/10000m

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6. Which of the following pollutants is not removed by three-way catalytic converters
from exhaust emissions of automobiles?
a) Pb
b) CO
c) NOx
d) HC
7. Major constituent of landfill gas is
a) CO
b) CO2

c) CH4

8. E waste of CRT contains the following hazardous metal

a) Pb
b) Cr
c) Hg

d) H2S
d) As

9. Low moisture and high carbon wastes are treated through

a) incineration
b) air stripping
c) bio-treatment
d) coagulation & flocculation
10. Area under Paddy cultivation represents
a) manmade wetland
b) stable wetland
c) unstable wetland
d) fragile wetland
11. Group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring is known as
a) population
b) species
c) community
d) ecosystem
12. The least efficient particulate collection device is
a) electrostatic precipitator
b) fabric filters
c) cyclone separators
d) wet scrubbers
13. The most precious recoverable metal in E-waste is
a) Ag
b) Cr
c) Hg

d) Au

14. Bhopal gas tragedy was caused by the release of

a) EIC
b) BIC
c) MIC

d) MIG

15. Which one is not easily biodegradable?

a) DDT
b) Saw dust
c) Kitchen waste
d) None of the above

PART B (5x1=5 Marks) (True or False)

(Note: Tick the right answer only; multiple tick or cross marks will be considered as wrong
answer)
1. When ambient lapse rate is equal to dry adiabatic lapse rate, the atmospheric stability
class is neutral. (True / False)
2. Carbon cycles within the biosphere by photosynthesis and respiration. (True / False)
3. It has been observed that in Indias Capital City, the ambient air concentration of SO2 is
having a decreasing trend whereas NO2 is showing an increasing trend. (True / False)
4. In ecosystem, energy flow is cyclic in nature. (True / False)
5. Heterotrophs make their own food so they are called producers. (True / False)

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PART C (5x6=30 Marks) (Brief Answers)
1.
Define and differentiate biomagnification and bioconcentration.
(6)
Ans. Biomagnification is the bioaccumulation of a substance up the food chain by transfer of
residues of the substance in smaller organisms that are food for larger organisms in the chain.
Or, When partitioning concentrates a chemical in one phase that is the food for a higher
phase, the chemical can further concentrate as we move up the food chain.
Bioconcentration is a process that results in an organism having a higher
concentration of a substance than is in its surrounding environmental media, such as stream
water.

2. With appropriate equations, write main functions of three way catalytic converters.
(6)
Ans: A three-way catalytic converter has three simultaneous tasks:
1. Reduction of nitrogen oxides to nitrogen and oxygen:
2NOx xO2 + N2
2. Oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide:
2CO + O2 2CO2
3. Oxidation of unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) to carbon dioxide and water:
CxH2x+2 + 2xO2 xCO2 + 2xH2O

3. Name the characteristics of wastes which make them hazardous in nature.

E1 Flammable
E2 Explosive
E3 Corrosive
E4 Toxic, Carcinogenicity, Mutagenicity and Endocrine disruptivity

(6)

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4. Differentiate combustion, gasification and pyrolysis, in short.

(6)

Combustion
Thermal processing of solid waste by chemical oxidation with stoichiometric or
excess amounts of air.
End products-hot gases, water vapour (flue gas), and non-combustible residue (ash).
Energy can be recovered by heat exchange from the hot combustion gases.
Gasification
Thermal processing of waste with limited air.
End products- gases (hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide etc.) and
ash
Pyrolysis
Thermal processing of waste in the complete absence of air.
End products-solids (char), liquids (tar/oil) and gases (hydroggen, methane, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide etc.)
Endothermic process, external source of heat is required.

5. Classify various types of wetlands on the basis of hydrology alongwith their main
characteristics.
(6)

Basin Wetlands (lakes and ponds)

Physical: Water flow is vertical (precipitation)
Hydroperiod: Long with floods during periods of high rainfall.

Riverine Wetlands (periodically flooded banks of rivers and streams)

Physical: Water flow is both vertical and horizontal (precipitation and
stream/river flow)
Hydroperiod: Have short periods of flooding with stream/river flow.
Fringe Wetlands (along coastal areas of large lakes and oceans)
Physical: Water flow is both vertical and horizontal (precipitation and tidal
flow)
Hydroperiod: May be short and regular. Is not seasonal like basin wetlands.

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PART D (30 Marks) (Numerical Problems)
1. If a compound X has an ocatnol-water (Haunsch) partitioning coefficient of 130 and
the concentration of X in lake water is 0.5 mg/L, find (a) BCF, and (b) approximate
concentration of X in the animal at the bottom of all food chains in the lake.
(2+3=5)
Solution:
log BCF = 0.79 log ( K OW ) 0.4 = 0.79 log (130 ) 0.4
BCF=18.62 L/kg
Concentration of X in Organism ( mg/kg )
BCF=
= 18.62 L kg
0.5 mg/L
Concentration of X in Organism ( mg/kg ) =9.31 mg/kg

2. Determine carboxyhemoglobin concentration as % saturation for CO concentration

of 1200 ppm after 0.5 h of exposure? Further, determine the minimum time for 80%
saturation.
(3+2=5)
Solution:
%COHb = (1- e-t) (CO)
Where, %COHb = Carboxyhemoglobin as % saturation;
CO = Carbonmonoxide conc. in ppm;
= 0.402 h-1; = 0.15 %/ ppm CO; and
t = exposure time in hours

Part (a): %COHb=32.775

Part (b): Time=1.462 h.

3.
Calculate 1 ppm SO2 concentration in microgram/m3 at 0oC & 1 atm.
Solution:
g (gas)/m3= ppm x mol wt x 103/22.4 (g/m3) at 0oC & 1 atm
mol wt of SO2=64 g/mol
Hence:
SO2 concentration in g (gas)/m3 is 2857.14

(3)

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4. Thermal power plant at Kanpur is emitting 8.64 tonnes/day of NOx. A village is

approximately 1.0 km downwind and 0.2 km off the centre line from the power
plant. The wind speed at the meteorological station of 10 m height is 1.5 m/s and the
terrain is plain in nature. The effective stack height of the power plant is of 140 m.
(Assume p = 0.07, Sy = 210 m, and Sz = 450 m for the given conditions and
coordinates). Determine
(a) NOx emission rate in g/s
(b) wind velocity at effective stack height
(c) the concentration of NOx which the villagers may encounter.
(2+2+3=7)
Solution:
(a) NOx emission rate=8.64*1000*1000/(24*60*60)= 100 g/s

(b) The wind speed at the stack height calculated as:

z
u2 = u1 2
z1

For rural areas with stability class p=0.07

Hence u2=1.5*(140/10)0.07= 1.804348 m/s
(c)

1 y 2
1H
E
(x, y,0, H ) =
exp exp
2 sy
2 s z
s y s z u

1 200 2
1 140 2
100
C (1000,200) =
exp
exp

(210)(450)(1.804348)
2 210
2 450
C (1000,200) = 113.068 g/m3

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5. Volumetric flow rate of flue gas coming out of a 500 MW coal power plant is 2.0
m3/s. To meet the national emission standards, it is estimated that 97% of the total
particulate matter is required to be removed by electrostatic precipitator. Calculate
the total area of the collection plate of the electrostatic precipitator if the average
drift velocity of the particles is 0.1 m/s.
(5)
Solution:
Efficiency = 1-exp-wA/Q
A is total area of collection plate
Q Volumetric flow rate of the gas
W is drift velocity
exp (-0.1*A/2.0)=1-(97/100)
-0.1*A/2.0= ln (0.03)
-0.1*A/2.0 = -3.50656
A= 70.13 m2
A=Total area of the collection plate

6. Estimate the landfill area needed to handle one years municipal solid waste (MSW)
for Delhi. Assume following data: (a) population = 14 million, (b) average per capita
solid waste generation = 0.6 kg/day, (c) landfill density of 800 kg/m, and a single 3m
lift. Assume that 20 percent of the landfill cell volume is soil used for cover.
(5)
Solution.
Solid waste generated in a year = 0.6x365x14000000
= 3066000000 kg
Volume of solid waste generated in a year = 3066000000 / 800
= 3832500 m3
Volume of landfill cell = 3832500 m3 / 0.8 = 4790625 m3
Area of landfill = 4258333 m3 / 3 = 1596875 m2

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Blank page for rough work