Question map
Consider the following : 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Methane 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?
Explanation
The correct answer is option D (1, 2, 3 and 4).
Biomass burning is a major source of gaseous pollution such as carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), nitrous oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons in the troposphere[1]. Additionally, greenhouse gas emissions from burning crop residues consist of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) produced by the combustion of crop residues burnt in agricultural fields[2]. Major air pollutants emitted from biomass burning include particulate matters (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides[3], confirming the release of sulfur dioxide.
Regarding ozone, while it may not be directly emitted during combustion, the burning of biomass releases precursor pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds that lead to ozone formation in the atmosphere. The question asks about substances "released into atmosphere due to burning," which encompasses both direct emissions and secondary atmospheric products. Therefore, all four pollutants—carbon monoxide, methane, ozone, and sulphur dioxide—are associated with crop/biomass residue burning, making option D the comprehensive and correct answer.
Sources- [2] https://www.fao.org/4/i3671e/i3671e.pdf
- [3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7597142/
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis question stems from the perennial 'Stubble Burning' crisis in North India rather than a static textbook chapter. While scientifically loose (Ozone is technically a secondary pollutant), the question tests your ability to correlate the 'toxic cocktail' of news headlines with basic combustion chemistry. It forces you to prioritize the 'presence' of pollutants over the strict mechanism of their release.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is carbon monoxide (CO) emitted into the atmosphere by burning crop or biomass residues?
- Statement 2: Is methane (CH4) emitted into the atmosphere by burning crop or biomass residues?
- Statement 3: Is ozone (O3) emitted into the atmosphere by burning crop or biomass residues?
- Statement 4: Is sulphur dioxide (SO2) emitted into the atmosphere by burning crop or biomass residues?
- Explicitly lists CO among the major air pollutants produced by biomass burning.
- Directly ties biomass burning to emission of carbon monoxide (CO).
- States biomass burning is a major source of gaseous pollution including carbon monoxide (CO).
- Specifically identifies CO as an emission from biomass burning in the troposphere.
Says burning biomass releases carbon dioxide and treats biomass as a combustion fuel source, establishing that combustion of biomass emits gaseous carbon species.
A student could apply the general rule that incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuels (biomass) produces CO as well as CO2 and then check combustion chemistry or emission factors for crop-residue fires.
Identifies biomass and agricultural fires as sources of smoke/brown carbon, showing that burning crop/biomass residues produces smoke and combustion byproducts.
From 'smoke from agricultural fires' one can infer combustion emissions include gases and particulates; the student could look up typical smoke constituents (including CO) from agricultural burning studies.
Discusses biomass burning (forest fires) as a source of volatile combustion products (formaldehyde, formic acid) and separately lists carbon monoxide and dioxide as combustion-related pollutants.
A student could generalize that biomass fires emit various carbon-containing gases and therefore consider CO among common combustion pollutants to investigate further.
Lists carbon monoxide alongside 'smoke' and other combustion-related pollutants, linking CO conceptually to combustion-related air pollution.
Using the association of CO with smoke and combustion, a student could compare urban/vehicle emission sources with rural biomass-smoke source profiles to see if CO appears in agricultural fire measurements.
Notes that carbon monoxide interacts with greenhouse gases and is present in atmospheric chemistry discussions, implying CO is a relevant combustion-related atmospheric species.
A student could use atmospheric chemistry context to look for observational or inventory data on CO from biomass-burning regions to test whether crop-residue burning emits CO.
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