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Q41 (IAS/2019) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Agricultural pollution Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment. 2. Cattle release ammonia into environment. 3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into environment. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D because all three statements are correct.

**Statement 1 is correct**: Agricultural fertilizers are sources of nitrogen oxides[1], and nitrous oxide is emitted when people add nitrogen to the soil through the use of synthetic fertilizers[2]. Agricultural soils thus release nitrogen oxides into the environment.

**Statement 2 is correct**: Nitrous oxide is also emitted during the breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure and urine[2]. Additionally, ammonia can potentially harm aquatic life[3], and cattle, being livestock, release ammonia through their waste products including urine and manure.

**Statement 3 is correct**: The poultry industry, being part of livestock operations, releases reactive nitrogen compounds similar to cattle operations. Reactive nitrogen threatens human health, ecosystem services, contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion[4], and poultry waste contains nitrogen compounds that are released into the environment through manure and urine breakdown.

Therefore, all three statements (1, 2, and 3) are correct, making option D the right answer.

Sources
  1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 19: Ozone Depletion > Sources > p. 269
  2. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > Human induced: > p. 257
  3. [3] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 9.56 Indian Economy > p. 342
  4. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > Sustainable Nitrogen management > p. 388
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment. 2. Cattle release ammonia into envi…
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This is a classic 'Environment Basics' question sourced directly from standard texts like Shankar IAS. It rewards reading the chapters on Climate Change and Pollution with a focus on specific chemical byproducts (NOx vs Ammonia) rather than just generic 'pollution'. If you skipped the specific gas profiles of agricultural activities, you missed a sitter.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Do agricultural soils emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the environment?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > Human induced: > p. 257
Presence: 5/5
“• Agriculture. Nitrous oxide is emitted when people add nitrogen to the soil through the use of synthetic fertilizers. Nitrous oxide is also emitted during the breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure and urine, which contributed to 60/0 of Np emissions in zoro.• . Transportation. Nitrous oxide is emitted when transportation fuels are burned.• Industry.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states nitrous oxide is emitted when nitrogen is added to soil via synthetic fertilizers.
  • Also notes nitrous oxide emission from breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure and urine.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 19: Ozone Depletion > Sources > p. 269
Presence: 4/5
“The sources of nitrogen oxides are mainly explosions of thermonuclear weapons, industrial emissions and agricultural fertilizers.”
Why this source?
  • Lists agricultural fertilizers among the main sources of nitrogen oxides.
  • Places agricultural fertilizer use alongside industrial sources as contributors to NOx emissions.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 3) Agricultural sources: > p. 74
Presence: 3/5
“Fertilizers contain major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Excess fertilizers may reach the ground water by leaching or may be mixed with surface water of rivers, lakes and ponds by runoff and drainage. Pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematocides, rodenticides and soil fumigants. They contain a wide range of chemicals such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, metallic salts, carbonates, thiocarbonates, derivatives of acetic acid etc.”
Why this source?
  • Describes that fertilizers contain major plant nutrient nitrogen, linking agricultural inputs to nitrogen pathways.
  • Notes excess fertilizers can move into the environment (runoff/leaching), implying potential for related emissions and impacts.
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Statement analysis

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