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Q17 (IAS/2024) Environment & Ecology › Pollution & Conservation › Hazardous chemical pollutants Official Key

With reference to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer products, consider the following statements : 1. PFAS are found to be widespread in drinking water, food and food packaging materials. 2. PFAS are not easily degraded in the environment. 3. Persistent exposure to PFAS can lead to bioaccumulation in animal bodies. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: D
Explanation

All three statements about PFAS are correct. Statement 1 is accurate as PFAS are found widespread in drinking water, food and food packaging materials[2], with studies estimating that 2% of Canadian food packaging materials contains intentionally added PFAS[3]. Statement 2 is correct because PFAS do not break down easily and remain (persist) in the environment[5] for long periods of time[4], which is why they are recognized as "forever chemicals" that can persist in the environment for decades or longer[6]. Statement 3 is also valid as PFAS are persistent environmental pollutants which can bioaccumulate in aquatic species[7], and due to their widespread use and persistence in the environment, some PFAS are found in people and fish[5]. Therefore, option D (1, 2 and 3) is the correct answer as all three statements are substantiated by scientific evidence.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/evaluating-existing-substances/state-per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-report.html
  2. [2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41545-023-00274-6
  3. [3] https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/evaluating-existing-substances/state-per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-report.html
  4. [4] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/water-quality/water-talk-per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-drinking-water.html
  5. [5] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/water-quality/water-talk-per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-drinking-water.html
  6. [6] https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr0351
  7. [7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725020686
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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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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. With reference to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer products, consider the follo…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 ¡ 10/10
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This is a classic 'Headline-to-Concept' question. While PFAS (Forever Chemicals) appeared frequently in The Hindu/Indian Express, the statements merely describe the standard definition of a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP). If you knew the nickname 'Forever Chemicals', the properties (persistence, bioaccumulation) follow logically without needing a textbook.

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
Are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in many consumer products found widespread in drinking water, food, and food packaging materials?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"PFAS can also be found in certain firefighting foams (for example aqueous film-forming foams [AFFF]), food packaging materials, drugs (including natural health products and non-prescription drugs), medical devices, cosmetics, pesticides, textiles (for example carpets, furniture, and clothing), vehicles and electronics. There are many potential sources of PFAS in Canada that can lead to human exposure and releases to the environment. Humans can be exposed to PFAS from various sources such as food and food packaging materials, cosmetics, products available to consumers, ambient air, indoor air and dust, and drinking water."
Why this source?
  • Lists many consumer-product uses (cosmetics, textiles, vehicles, electronics, firefighting foams, etc.), showing PFAS are used in many consumer products.
  • Explicitly states humans can be exposed to PFAS from food and food packaging materials and drinking water, tying use to presence in those media.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Minet et al. (2022) estimate that 2% of Canadian food packaging materials contains intentionally added PFAS. Given the known use of polymeric PFAS in paper/paperboard food packaging materials, it is expected that some PFAS will be detected in paper and paperboard food packaging materials on the retail market. For example, Schaider et al. (2017) found detectable levels of fluorine in 33% of paper and paperboard food wrappers and related food packaging"
Why this source?
  • Provides measured evidence that PFAS are present in food packaging materials (intentional addition and detectable fluorine in wrappers).
  • Gives quantitative findings (2% estimated intentionally added; 33% of paper and paperboard wrappers had detectable fluorine) supporting widespread occurrence in packaging.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Notably, Post et al. emphasized that drinking water is a predominant source of contamination in the general population, surpassing other sources such as food and consumer products. PFAS concentrations in worldwide sewage treatment plants have been found to range up to 465.4, 5663.3 ng/L, and 7304.9 ng/g dry weight in influent, effluent, and sludge, respectively, indicating the inefficiency of secondary biological"
Why this source?
  • States that drinking water is a predominant source of PFAS contamination for the general population, indicating widespread presence in water supplies.
  • Notes high PFAS concentrations in wastewater treatment influent/effluent/sludge, supporting widespread environmental contamination that can affect drinking water.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > POPs > p. 405
Strength: 5/5
“SHANKAR Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are organic chemical substances, that is, they are carbon-based. They possess a particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that, once released into the environment, they: • remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time (many years); • become widely distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water and, most notably, air, long range environment transport (LRET). • accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms including humans, and are found at higher concentrations at higher levels in the food chain; and • are foxic to both humans and wildlife In addition, POPs concentrate in living organisms through another process called bioaccumulation.”
Why relevant

Defines Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) as carbon‑based substances that persist, travel widely, and bioaccumulate in food chains.

How to extend

A student could note that chemicals with POP‑like properties used in consumer products may end up distributed in water and food and thus look for whether PFAS share those persistence and bioaccumulation traits in external sources.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 17: Climate Change > Industry: > p. 257
Strength: 4/5
“r-,L l • Perfluorocarbons are compounds produced as a by-product of various industrial processes associated with aluminum production and the manufacturing of semiconductors. :::• Like HFCs, PFCs generally have long atmospheric lifetimes and high GWPs.• Sulfur hexafluoride is used in magnesium processing and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as a tracer gas for leak detection. HFC-23 is produced as a by-product of HCFC-22 production.”
Why relevant

Mentions perfluorocarbons produced as industrial by‑products, illustrating that per‑fluorinated compounds arise from industry.

How to extend

One could extend this by checking whether per‑fluorinated chemicals from industrial processes are used in consumer goods and by tracing potential pathways into water/food systems.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > a) Municipal solid waste > p. 85
Strength: 4/5
“neither well equipped and are not lined properly to protect against contamination of soil and groundwater. txl o Over the last few years, the consumer market has grown rapidly leading to products being packed in cans, aluminium foils, plastics, and other such nonbiodegradable items that cause incalculable harm to the environment.”
Why relevant

Notes rapid growth of consumer packaging (cans, aluminium foils, plastics) and that such non‑biodegradable items cause environmental contamination.

How to extend

A student might infer packaging materials can be sources of chemical contamination and therefore examine whether PFAS are used in food packaging and can migrate into food or the environment.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 3. Hazards of ground water pollution: > p. 76
Strength: 3/5
“• i. Presence of excess nitrate in drinking water is dangerous for human health and may be fatal for infants.• ii. Excess fluoride in drinking water causes neuromuscular disorders, gastrointestinal problems, teeth deformity, hardening of bones and stiff and painful joints (skeletal fluorosis). W AIl RiShts Reseiled No part of this naterial ma1. bs vgplqduced in an,v form or br. alv means, rvithout permission in u,riting.”
Why relevant

Gives examples of harmful contaminants (nitrate, fluoride) in drinking water and their health effects, illustrating that water can carry hazardous substances.

How to extend

Use this pattern to motivate testing drinking water for other persistent contaminants (like PFAS) known to be used in industry/consumer products.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 6: Environmental Issues > Applications of Palm Oil > p. 116
Strength: 3/5
“r) Food based appiications Cooking oil, substitute for butter, vanaspati/ vegetable ghee, margarine, confectionary and bakery fats, ice cream, coffee creamers, emulsifiers, vitamin E supplements among others. z) Non-food applications Cosmetics, toiletries, soaps and detergents. Oleo chemical industry, as a base material for laundry detergents, household cleaners and cosmetics. According to USDA estimates, 75% of the global palm oil consumption is for food purposes, while 20% is for industrial/non-food purposes. The remaining, though currently of marginal quantity, is used for biodiesel.”
Why relevant

Lists that many chemicals derived from agricultural/industrial sources have both food and non‑food applications (cosmetics, detergents), showing consumer goods often contain specialized chemicals.

How to extend

A student could look up whether per‑fluorinated compounds are among such multifunctional chemicals used in consumer products and thereby assess potential exposure routes into food and packaging.

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