Solved NCERT Questions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 In Hindi - Free PDF
FAQs on NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 Environmental Issues In Hindi Mediem in Hindi - 2025-26
1. How do you solve the NCERT question on the components of domestic sewage and its effects on rivers?
The NCERT solution for this question is structured in two parts. First, you must list the components of domestic sewage, and then explain the impacts of its discharge into a river.
Part 1: Components of Domestic Sewage
- Suspended Solids: These include materials like sand, silt, and clay.
- Colloidal Materials: This category includes faecal matter, bacteria, and paper or cloth fibres.
- Dissolved Materials: These are nutrients like nitrates, ammonia, phosphates, sodium, and calcium.
Part 2: Effects of Sewage Discharge into Rivers
- Oxygen Depletion: Microorganisms involved in biodegrading organic matter in sewage consume a large amount of dissolved oxygen, leading to a sharp drop in oxygen levels downstream. This can cause mass death of fish and other aquatic life.
- Eutrophication: The high concentration of nutrients like nitrates and phosphates promotes excessive growth of planktonic algae, known as an algal bloom. This degrades water quality and can be toxic to other organisms.
- Spread of Diseases: Untreated sewage contains many pathogenic microbes that can cause water-borne diseases like typhoid, jaundice, cholera, and dysentery if the contaminated water is consumed.
2. Where can I find reliable and step-by-step NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16 for the 2025-26 session?
You can find accurate and easy-to-understand NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 16, Environmental Issues, on Vedantu. These solutions are prepared by subject matter experts and are updated according to the latest CBSE 2025-26 syllabus. Each answer is broken down into a step-by-step format to help you understand the correct methodology for solving the textbook exercises and prepare effectively for your board exams.
3. What is the correct method for explaining biomagnification with the example of DDT, as per the NCERT solutions for Chapter 16?
To explain biomagnification using DDT, the NCERT solution follows a clear progression through trophic levels. The key is to show how the concentration of a toxicant increases at successive levels because it is not metabolised or excreted.
- Start with the source: DDT concentration in water might be very low, for example, 0.003 ppb (parts per billion).
- First Trophic Level (Producers): Phytoplankton absorb DDT from the water.
- Second Trophic Level (Primary Consumers): Zooplankton eat the phytoplankton, accumulating DDT. The concentration increases to 0.04 ppm (parts per million).
- Third Trophic Level (Secondary Consumers): Small fish eat the zooplankton, and the DDT concentration magnifies to 0.5 ppm.
- Fourth Trophic Level (Tertiary Consumers): Large fish eat small fish, concentrating DDT to 2 ppm.
- Top Trophic Level (Quaternary Consumers): Fish-eating birds (like eagles) eat the large fish, and the DDT concentration reaches as high as 25 ppm.
Finally, explain the impact: This high concentration of DDT in birds disrupts calcium metabolism, leading to thin eggshells that break prematurely, causing a decline in the bird population.
4. How does a catalytic converter work to reduce harmful emissions, and why is it essential to use unleaded petrol in vehicles equipped with one?
A catalytic converter is a device fitted into the exhaust system of vehicles to reduce toxic emissions. It works by using precious metals as catalysts to convert harmful gases into less harmful substances.
- Mechanism: The converter contains a ceramic honeycomb structure coated with expensive metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium.
- Conversion Process: As the hot exhaust gases pass through, the catalysts trigger chemical reactions. Unburnt hydrocarbons are converted into carbon dioxide and water (H₂O). Carbon monoxide (CO) is oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO₂). Nitric oxide (NO) is reduced to nitrogen gas (N₂).
It is crucial to use unleaded petrol in vehicles with a catalytic converter because the lead in leaded petrol coats the surface of the catalyst metals. This process, known as 'catalyst poisoning', makes the catalyst inactive and renders the converter completely ineffective at reducing pollution.
5. What steps were taken in Delhi to reduce vehicular air pollution, as outlined in Chapter 16, Environmental Issues?
According to the NCERT textbook, several significant measures were implemented in Delhi to combat its severe vehicular air pollution. The key steps are:
- Switch to CNG: A major policy decision was to switch the entire fleet of public buses from diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by the end of 2002. CNG is a cleaner fuel as it burns more efficiently and leaves very little unburnt residue.
- Phasing Out Old Vehicles: A program was initiated to gradually remove older, more polluting vehicles from the roads.
- Use of Cleaner Fuels: The use of unleaded petrol and low-sulphur petrol and diesel was made mandatory to reduce harmful emissions.
- Mandatory Catalytic Converters: Vehicles were required to be fitted with catalytic converters to treat exhaust gases.
- Stricter Emission Norms: The implementation of stringent pollution-level norms for vehicles, such as the Euro-II standards, was enforced.
These collective efforts led to a significant improvement in Delhi's air quality between 1997 and 2005.
6. Why is eutrophication considered a form of 'ageing' for a lake, and how do human activities accelerate this process?
Eutrophication is considered the natural 'ageing' of a lake because it describes the gradual process of a water body becoming enriched with nutrients, which changes its ecosystem over a very long time.
Natural Eutrophication (Ageing):
- A young lake is cold and clear with few nutrients and little life.
- Over thousands of years, streams drain into the lake, bringing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.
- These nutrients encourage the growth of aquatic plants and animals.
- As these organisms die, their organic remains settle at the bottom, making the lake shallower and warmer.
- Eventually, the lake turns into land.
Accelerated Eutrophication (Human Impact):
Human activities drastically speed up this process. Effluents from industries, homes (sewage), and agricultural runoff from fields introduce massive amounts of nutrients into the lake. This overload of nutrients causes a sudden, dense growth of algae (algal bloom), which depletes dissolved oxygen when it decomposes, killing fish and other life, and effectively 'choking' the lake to death in a much shorter time frame.
7. What is the correct method for disposing of radioactive waste, and why can't it be treated like other industrial pollutants?
The correct method for disposing of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants requires extreme caution due to its inherent danger.
Recommended Disposal Method:
- The waste should be stored in suitably shielded containers.
- These containers must then be buried deep within stable geological formations, approximately 500 meters below the Earth's surface.
Reason for Special Treatment:
Radioactive waste cannot be treated like other pollutants because it emits ionizing radiation, which is intensely harmful to all biological organisms. Unlike chemical pollutants that can often be neutralized or broken down, radiation persists for a very long time. Exposure to this radiation can cause high rates of mutation, leading to severe health problems, most notably cancer. Therefore, the only viable solution is long-term, secure isolation from the biosphere.
8. How does the NCERT solution explain the role of local communities in conservation, using the examples of the Bishnoi community and the Chipko movement?
The NCERT solution highlights the critical role of local communities in conservation by citing two powerful historical examples from India.
- The Bishnoi Community (1731): In Rajasthan, a Bishnoi woman named Amrita Devi showed extraordinary courage by hugging a tree to prevent it from being cut down by the King's men. She, along with her three daughters and hundreds of other Bishnois, sacrificed their lives to protect the trees, establishing a legacy of community-led environmental protection. The Government of India has instituted the Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award in her honour.
- The Chipko Movement (1974): In the Garhwal Himalayas, local women launched a movement to protect forests from contractors. They prevented tree felling by hugging the trees, an action that gave the movement its name ('Chipko' means to stick or to hug). This non-violent protest gained international recognition and was instrumental in shaping forest conservation policies.
Both examples demonstrate how proactive involvement and deep-rooted cultural values within local communities can be a powerful force for protecting the environment.

















