Test: Environment- 1 - UPSC MCQ

✅ Statement 1: Correct
The FACT Dialogue (Forests, Agriculture and Commodity Trade) is a government-to-government initiative, launched during the UK’s presidency of COP26 in 2021. It is designed to foster cooperation between producer and consumer countries of agricultural commodities such as soy, palm oil, cocoa, and beef. The process is supported by a multi-stakeholder task force and aims to balance sustainable trade with forest conservation.

✅ Statement 2: Correct
The core goal of the FACT Dialogue is to protect forests while maintaining sustainable trade in globally traded agricultural products. It brings together major producer and consumer countries to discuss and develop collective action on key issues including:

• Transparent and traceable supply chains
• Support for smallholder farmers
• Sustainable land-use policies
• This collaborative platform is essential for reducing deforestation and promoting environmentally friendly commodity markets.

✅ Statement 3: Correct
The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a multi-stakeholder partnership platform hosted by the World Economic Forum. It operates under the Centre for Nature and Climate and the Climate Action Platform. TFA brings together over 170 partners including:

• Governments
• Private sector companies
• NGOs
• Indigenous and local communities
• The alliance works to eliminate deforestation from supply chains of commodities like palm oil, soy, beef, and pulp and paper.

Solid wastes should be properly disposed by composting, land filling, thermal processes; and by re- cycling and re- use.

• ✅Composting is the process of degrading decomposable solid waste in a properly dug pit, called as compost pit. Composting process involves both the aerobic and anaerobic processes. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • In aerobic composting the biodegradable wastes are filled in the compost pit which is left open from one or more sides.
    • On the other hand, in anaerobic composting the biodegradable wastes are allowed to degrade in sealed compost pits. The compost prepared through any one of these processes is very good manure for crops.
• ✅Land filling is just the process of dumping wastes or other substances in low land areas and covering the same with soil. This is the age old practice of leveling low areas. But, in modern times waste materials are buried under soil after compacting them properly in a scientific manner. The provision of release of gases from the decomposing materials of the land fill is also made adequately. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• ✅In thermal process, the dried solid waste is safely burnt in closed compartments with proper provision of treatment of harmful gases, and utilization of heat energy evolved during the process. It is called as incineration. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Environmentalists do not favour this process of solid waste treatment in view of fear of air pollution, rather they advocate for re-cycling and re-use for the disposal of non- biodegradable substances.

• Bioremediation: The application of biotic agents like microorganisms in the correction and recovery of environmental damage is called as bioremediation. The removal of oil spilled on sea water by the help of bacteria is one example of bioremediation.
• Bioaccumulation: Increase in concentration of a substance within a trophic level in certain tissues of organisms' bodies due to absorption from food and the environment is called bioaccumulation.
• Biomagnification: Increase in concentration of a substance in the bodies of consumers as one moves up the food chain is called biomagnification. For example, when chemicals or pesticides are let into rivers or lakes they are consumed by aquatic organisms like fish, which in turn are consumed by large birds, animals or humans.
• Biopiracy: The practice of commercial exploitation of biochemicals or genetic materials which occur naturally. It is the unethical or unlawful appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological materials
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

The Correct Answer is B :- All three

✅Statement 1 Correct

• Lianas (also known as vines, climbing plants or climbers) are plants with long, flexible, climbing stems that are rooted in the ground, and usually have long dangling branches.
• They particularly thrive in disturbed forest areas — such as those affected by logging, natural treefalls, landslides —because they can quickly grow towards the forest canopy using trees as support.

✅Statement 2 Correct

• Lianas, or woody vines, have been referred to as structural or mechanical parasites.
• Although they are rooted in the soil, they depend upon host plants or other external objects for their mechanical support Studies suggest that lianas may be detrimental to the host trees.

 ✅Statement 3 Correct

•  Lianas use their climbing ability, resilience to climatic stress, and efficient water and nutrient usage to outcompete trees for sunlight and resources.
• They compete for sunlight in the canopy and suppress trees.
• Their lower carbon sequestering capacity compared to trees further exacerbates the threat to carbon storage.

1. ✅Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales and is extremely valuable.
2. ✅It has been historically used in high-end perfumery, especially for fixing fragrances.
3. ❌However, it is not legally tradable in many countries like India and the USA due to wildlife protection laws.

Only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

• Filter feeding is a form of food procurement in which food particles or small organisms are randomly strained from water. Filter feeding is found primarily among small- to medium-sized invertebrates but occurs in a few large vertebrates.
• Some filter feeders are sessile organisms - they don't move much, if at all. Example : tunicates (sea squirts), bivalves (e.g., mussels, oysters, scallops), tubeworm and sponges. Bivalves filter-feed by straining organic matter from the water using their gills. This is accomplished using cilia, thin filaments that beat to produce a current over water over the gills.
• Additional cilia remove the food. Some filter feeders are free-swimming organisms that filter the water while swimming or even actively pursue their prey.
• Examples of these filter feeders are basking sharks, whale sharks, and baleen whales. Basking sharks and whale sharks feed by swimming through the water with their mouths open.
• The water passes through their gills, and food is trapped by bristle-like gill rakers. Baleen whales feed either by skimming the water and trapping prey on the fringe-like hairs of their baleen or gulping in large quantities of water and prey and then forcing the water out, leaving prey trapped inside.

So, Option (d) is correct. 

• ✅Statement 1 is correct. Foraminifera is amoeba-like, single-celled protist (very simple micro-organisms). They have been called 'armored amoebae' because they secrete a tiny shell (or 'test'), usually about a half and one millimeter long. Foraminifera is found in all marine environments, from the intertidal to the deepest ocean trenches and from the tropics to the poles, but species of foraminifera can be very particular about the environment in which they live. They may be planktic or benthic in their mode of life.
• ❌Statement 2 is not correct. Copepods are major secondary producers in the World Ocean. They represent an important link between phytoplankton, microzooplankton and higher trophic levels, such as fish. They are an important food source for many fish species but also a significant producer of detritus.
• ✅Statement 3 is correct. Sea otters are part of the weasel family. They have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water. Sea otters live in shallow coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean. They are among the select group of animals known to use tools. They use rocks or other objects to pry shellfish from hard surfaces and hammer them open or as an anvil against which to break their shells. Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction.

• ✅Statement 1 is correct: Blue hydrogen is hydrogen produced from natural gas with a process of steam methane reforming, where natural gas is mixed with very hot steam and a catalyst. It split into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
• ✅Statement 2 is correct: Green hydrogen derived from water electrolysis using renewable electricity.
• ✅Statement 3 is correct: Brown hydrogen is formed through coal gasification.

• ❌Statement 1 incorrect. Anaerobic decomposition yields only about 2 ATP per glucose molecule, while aerobic decomposition yields about 36 ATP. Thus, far less energy is produced under anaerobic conditions. making .
• ✅Statement 2 is correct. In a sealed pit without oxygen, anaerobic decomposition can raise temperatures up to 80°C, killing weed seeds and pathogens in the waste.

• Irreparable computers and other electronic goods are known as electronic wastes (e-wastes). E- wastes are burried in landfills or incinerated.
• Over half of the e-wastes generated in the developed world are exported to developing countries, mainly to China, India and Pakistan, where metals like copper, iron, silicon, nickel and gold are recovered during recycling process. • Unlike developed countries, which have specifically built facilities for recycling of e-wastes, recycling in developing countries often involves manual participation thus exposing workers to toxic substances present in e-wastes.
• E-waste-connected health risks may result from direct contact with harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), from inhalation of toxic fumes, as well as from accumulation of chemicals in soil, water and food. In addition to its hazardous components, being processed, e-waste can give rise to a number of toxic by-products likely to affect human health. Furthermore, recycling activities such as dismantling of electrical equipment may potentially bear an increased risk of injury.
• Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

• A National Park is an area protected and preserved by law to protect and preserve flora and fauna within its boundary. Grazing of cattle and removal of any wildlife from its habitat is strictly prohibited in a national park and all rights are reserved with the government.
• A Sanctuary is a protected area where wild animals and birds are kept and encouraged to increase their population. In wildlife sanctuaries, rare and endangered species are encouraged to breed in human- controlled environments with restricted settings.
• Differences between a National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary:
  • A National Park is established by the government in view of the protection of all the flora and fauna of certain areas. But a Wildlife sanctuary is meant for the protection, breeding and propagation of individuals of an endangered species.
  • The boundaries of a National Park are usually well-marked and circumscribed whereas those of sanctuaries are often not well-defined and human activities are permitted to a specified limit.

✅Hence statement 2 is correct.

• A National Park is established under the provisions of Section 35, section 38(2), and Section 66(3) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972. On the other hand, a Wildlife Sanctuary is an area that is established under the provisions of Section 26-A, Section 38(1), and Section 66(3) of this Act.
• An area can not be notified as a National Park if it is a reserve Forest. However, this is not the case with a Wildlife Sanctuary in which an area can directly be notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary even if it is a reserve forest.
• National parks are given a greater degree of protection, with human activity greatly restricted. Sanctuaries have relatively less restrictions and are open to people, without the requirement of official permission.

✅Hence statement 1 is correct.

• In spite of some differences, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries have basic similarities.
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA) of 1972 provided for the declaration of National Parks by the State Government in addition to the declaration of wildlife sanctuaries. The Central Government may also declare, Wild Life Sanctuary and National Park under certain conditions.

❌Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• It can be said that both the National Park and the Wildlife Sanctuary are protected areas, and no biotic interference is allowed in both of these areas. 

• Ionizing radiations: Electromagnetic radiations such as short wavelength ultra violet radiations (UV), X-rays and gamma rays and energetic particles produced in nuclear processes, electrically charged particles like alpha and beta particles produced in radioactive decay and neutrons produced in nuclear fission, are highly damaging to living organisms.

❌Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

• Electrically charged particles produced in the nuclear processes can have sufficient energy to knock electrons out of the atoms or molecules of the medium, thereby producing ions. The ionizing radiations cause damage to biological systems and are, therefore are pollutants.

✅Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• A gamma ray passing through a cell, can ionise the water molecules near the DNA. These ions might react with the DNA causing it to break. They can also cause chemical changes by breaking the chemical bonds, which can damage living tissues.

✅Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• ✅Statement 1 is correct. Coral reefs are often referred to as the medicine chests of the sea. A number of creatures found on reefs produce chemical compounds that have been isolated to treat human diseases—and researchers believe that many more are yet to be discovered. Soft corals, in particular, have been found to possess compounds that could be used to treat various types of cancers. E.g., Secosteroids and Norcembranoids from the Soft Coral Sinularia nanolobata.
• ❌Statement 2 is not correct. Corals are invertebrate animals belonging to a large group of colorful and fascinating animals called Cnidaria. Coral has a symbiotic relationship (each gives something to the other and gets something back in return) with 'zooxanthellae'microscopic algae which live on coral. The corals are generally slow-growing colonies of animals, while zooxanthellae are fast-growing plants. 
• ❌Statement 3 is not correct. The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is a non-profit environmental NGO that is on a mission to save the world's coral reefs. Working collaboratively with communities to reduce direct threats to reefs in ways that provide lasting benefits to people and wildlife. Thus Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is not an environmental intergovernmental organization.
• ✅Statement 4 is correct. Corals are marine invertebrates that attach themselves to rocky intertidal regions or the ocean floor and are carnivorous animals. Corals are Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, meaning corals have the same protection as that of a tiger or a leopard. They were booked under sections 9, 39, 40, 44, 48, 49A of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The quantum of punishment can lead to three to seven years of jail.

• ✅Statement 1 is correct. Epiphyte, also called air plant, is any plant that grows upon another plant or object merely for physical support. Epiphytes have no attachment to the ground or other obvious nutrient sources and are not parasitic on the supporting plants. Aerial roots of epiphytes are greenish and covered with spongy tissue (Velamen) with which they absorb atmospheric moisture.
• ✅Statement 2 is correct. Approximately 70 percent of all orchids are epiphytes, plants that grow on other plants. Epiphytic orchids are largely confined to the tropics and subtropics, where day length and the aspect of the sun vary little with the seasons and temperature ranges are generally stable and above freezing. In contrast, almost any part of a tree can be host to epiphytic orchids.
• ❌Statement 3 is not correct. Botanical Survey of India published the first comprehensive orchid census of the country last year, and Arunachal Pradesh emerged as its top contributor. Unsurprisingly, nearly half (612 out of 1256) of India's orchid species can be found in the Northeastern state. In Arunachal Pradesh, the richest concentration of orchids is believed to be in Ziro Valley. An orchid translocation project since 2017 has led to the discovery of more than 20 species in the area. Ziro Valley is located in Arunachal Pradesh, not in Himachal Pradesh.

Butea Monosperma, popularly known as ‘Flame of the forest,’ is in full bloom in rural parts of the district, presenting an enchanting sight. The blooming of this flower also heralds the Spring season. From a distance, it’s like seeing a brightly lit torch, given its bright orange colour. These trees are distinct as they wear more flowers than leaves. During this season, children in rural areas mash the flowers to extract juice, which is then used as a colour to sprinkle on each other on Holi, the festival of colours. Though people cultivate this tree in their compounds, they are mostly found in the wilderness. So, Option (a) is correct.

• Most herbicides are toxic to mammals but are not as persistent as organo-chlorides. These chemicals decompose in a few months. Like organo-chlorides, these too become concentrated in the food web. Some herbicides cause birth defects. Studies show that cornfields sprayed with herbicides are more prone to insect attack and plant disease than fields that are weeded manually.
• Pesticides and herbicides represent only a very small portion of widespread chemical pollution. A large number of other compounds that are used regularly in chemical and industrial processes for manufacturing activities are finally released in the atmosphere in one or other form. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

• Ozone is a gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. It occurs both in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and at ground level. Depending on its location in the atmosphere, it can be good or bad.
• ✅Statement 2 is correct. Stratospheric ozone is formed naturally through the interaction of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation with molecular oxygen (O₂). Here, it forms the "ozone layer," which is approximately 6-30 miles above the Earth's surface. This layer shields us from the harmful UV radiation emanating from the sun.
• ❌Statement 3 is not correct. In the troposphere, ozone is formed when heat and sunlight cause chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which are also known as Hydrocarbons. This reaction can occur both near the ground and high in the atmosphere. This ground Ozone is the “bad” ozone and is a secondary air pollutant. It damages crops, trees, and other vegetation and caused severe health problems.
• ❌Statement 1 is not correct. In both these processes, Ozone is formed naturally. However, it can also be artificially produced, so that it can be used for water treatment. Ozone generators can create ozone artificially by means of extremely high voltages or by means of UV light. Both methods involve the decomposition of the oxygen molecule.

• Polar regions are characterized by the presence of sub-zero temperatures which makes it difficult for a range of animals to survive in such harsh conditions. An overwhelming majority (99 percent) of animals and nearly all plants cannot maintain a constant internal environment in adverse conditions. Heat loss or heat gain is a function of surface area. Since small animals have a larger surface area relative to their volume, they tend to lose body heat very fast when it is cold outside; then they have to expend much energy to generate body heat through metabolism. This is the main reason why very small animals are rarely found in polar regions. Hence statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.
• Mammals from colder climates generally have shorter ears and limbs to minimize heat loss. This is called Allen’s Rule. In the polar seas, aquatic mammals like seals have a thick layer of fat (blubber) below their skin that acts as an insulator and reduces the loss of body heat. 

• ✅Statement 1 is correct. Heat Action Plans aim to provide a framework for implementation, coordination and evaluation of extreme heat response activities that reduces the negative impact of extreme heat. The Plan's primary objective is to alert those populations at risk of heat-related illness in places where extreme heat conditions either exist or are imminent, and to take appropriate precautions, which are at high risk.
• ❌Statement 2 is not correct. A heat wave is declared if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees in coastal areas and at least 30 degrees in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees.

The two main factors taken into account when measuring diversity are richness and evenness. Species richness and species evenness are two components important in measuring the biological diversity of an ecosystem. Both measures describe the species living in a particular area.

• Species richness: It is the number of species within a defined region. Generally, species richness counts the number of species in a particular ecosystem. However, it does not describe the abundance of the species in that particular ecosystem. It’s possible to measure the species richness through either sampling or a census.

✅Hence statement 2 is correct.

• In addition, species richness can be divided into three components:
  • α-Diversity- Alpha diversity refers to diversity within a particular area, community or ecosystem, and is measured by counting the number of taxa (usually species) within the ecosystem.
  • β-Diversity- Beta diversity is species diversity between ecosystems; this involves comparing the number of taxa that are unique to each of the ecosystems.
  • Y -Diversity- Gamma diversity is a measurement of the overall diversity for different ecosystems within a region. o Furthermore, species richness does not describe the distribution of the species within a particular geological area. It only describes the number of species in the above particular geological area. o Species Evenness: It is the number of species and the relative abundance of species in a particular community. There are several indices to describe species evenness and the two most common measures of evenness are the Shannon index (H) and the Simpson index (D).

✅Hence statement 1 is correct.

• The Shannon index (H) is a measure of the information content of a community rather than that of a particular species. On the other hand, the Simpson index (D) measures the dominance of a multispecies community and can be thought of as the probability that two individuals selected from a community will be of the same species. 

✅Statement 1 is correct: Teal carbon is indeed stored in non-tidal freshwater wetlands, and it encompasses various forms such as vegetation, microbial biomass, and organic matter.

✅Statement 2 is correct: India’s first study on teal carbon, conducted at Keoladeo National Park (KNP) in Rajasthan, underscores the significance of wetland conservation in combating climate change. Keoladeo National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and was placed on the Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention due to concerns about water shortages and unbalanced grazing.

• Water pollution is the contamination of water sources by substances that make the water unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming, and other activities. Pollutants include chemicals, trash, bacteria, parasites, chemicals, etc.
• The processes that contribute to water pollution include-
  • Agricultural runoff- It includes contaminants such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc.
  • Open Defecation- It can cause the release of harmful pathogens in the water body which then contribute to diseases like Typhoid, etc.
  • Discharge of Industrial Effluents- These consist of toxic chemicals, microfibres, and even oil and petroleum.
  • Floods- Floods are destructive in nature and they tend to carry all the material in their way including plastics, mud, etc.
  • Discharge of coolant from Nuclear reactors- The coolant so used tends to be radioactive and can thus result in radioactivity in the water body and aquatic life.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer. 

• One of the main problems affecting coastal waters is the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous-based pollutants entering the water. These pollutants come mainly from human activities. Excessive discharge of nutrients into coastal water results in accelerated phytoplankton growth. Eutrophication is defined as ‘enhanced plankton growth due to excess supply of nutrients. Large growths of phytoplankton are known as blooms and these large blooms can have undesirable effects.
• Biological oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed (i.e., demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at a certain temperature over a specific time period.
• The common lake or stream contains small amounts of oxygen in the form of dissolved oxygen (DO). Dissolved oxygen is a crucial component of natural water bodies, maintaining the aquatic life and quality aesthetic of streams and lakes. So, BOD, indirectly, shows the extent of eutrophication in the water body.

✅Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• The decay of organic matter in water is measured as biochemical oxygen demand. Environmental stresses and other human-induced factors can lessen the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water body, however.
• Biological oxygen demand is essentially a measure of the amount of oxygen required to remove waste organic matter from water in the process of decomposition by aerobic bacteria. Hence, the higher BOD means the presence of higher organic pollution and not inorganic pollution.

❌Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 

Context: The elongated tortoise was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area during a research survey in the Aravallis.

About:

• Characteristics: The tortoise is medium-sized with a yellowish-brown or olive shell, marked by distinct black blotches at the center of each scute. It also has a pink ring around its nostril, visible during the breeding season.
• Distribution: The species is found across northeast India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. A separate population exists in the Chota Nagpur plateau in eastern India.
• Habitat: Also known as the Sal Forest Tortoise, it inhabits open deciduous forest patches, including Sal and evergreen forests, dry thorn forests, and savannah grasslands.
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.

• The accelerated rates of species extinctions that the world is facing now are largely due to human activities. There are four major causes (‘ The Evil Quartet’ is the sobriquet used to describe them). o Habitat loss and fragmentation: This is the most important cause driving animals and plants to extinction. The most dramatic examples of habitat loss come from tropical rainforests. Once covering more than 14 percent of the earth’s land surface, these rainforests now cover no more than 6 percent. They are being destroyed fast. Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by pollution also threatens the survival of many species. When large habitats are broken up into small fragments due to various human activities, mammals and birds requiring large territories, and certain animals with migratory habits are badly affected, leading to population declines.
  • Over-exploitation: Humans have always depended on nature for food and shelter, but when ‘need’ turns to ‘greed’, it leads to the over-exploitation of natural resources. Many species extinctions in the last 500 years (Steller’s sea cow, passenger pigeon) were due to overexploitation by humans. Presently many marine fish populations around the world are over-harvested, endangering the continued existence of some commercially important species.
  • Alien species invasions: When alien species are introduced unintentionally or deliberately for whatever purpose, some of them turn invasive, and cause the decline or extinction of indigenous species. The Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in East Africa led eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake. One must be familiar with the environmental damage caused and the threat posed to native species by invasive weed species like carrot grass (Parthenium), Lantana and water hyacinth (Eicchornia). The recent illegal introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus for aquaculture purposes is posing a threat to the indigenous catfishes in our rivers.
  • Co-extinctions: When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it in an obligatory way also become extinct. When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of parasites also meets the same fate. Another example is the case of a coevolved plant-pollinator mutualism where the extinction of one invariably leads to the extinction of the other.
  • Hence option (d) is the correct answer. 

IndOBIS (Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System) is a regional node of the global Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). It acts as a central platform for gathering, managing, and sharing data on marine biodiversity in the Indian Ocean region. It is operated by the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi.

Functions:

• It consolidates biodiversity data from multiple sources, including research institutions, government agencies, and citizen scientists.
• The platform supports spatial analysis of marine biodiversity patterns, aiding in the identification of areas with high biodiversity and ecological importance.

✅Statement 1 and 2 are correct: Commons refers to resources that are not owned by any individual, group, or the government but are shared by the entire community.

• Resources like forests, local ponds, grazing lands, rivers, and sacred sites are examples of Commons. In urban areas, parks and lakes are also considered Commons.
• They provide a range of ecological and other services that benefit the entire community.
• Intangible Commons include language, folk art, dance, local customs, and traditional knowledge, all of which are shared resources.
• On a global scale, the polar regions, the Arctic and Antarctica, are also regarded as Commons.
• Outer space, the Moon, and other planetary bodies are similarly considered global Commons.

❌Statement 3 is not correct: There are international agreements that govern the use and management of polar regions, outer space, and high seas.

• The Paris Agreement on climate change, which aims to maintain a livable planet for all, serves as an example.

• ❌Statement 2 is not correct. A Lewis acid is any substance, such as a Hydrogen ion (H⁺), that can accept a pair of nonbonding electrons. In other words, a Lewis acid is an electron-pair acceptor. A Lewis base is any substance, such as the OH^- ion, that can donate a pair of nonbonding electrons. A Lewis base is, therefore, an electron- pair donor. 
• ✅Statement 1 is correct. Because Lewis acids add electron pairs, they are often used to speed up chemical reactions. Lewis superacids are stronger than antimony pentafluoride (SbF5) -- the strongest Lewis acid -- and can break even the toughest bonds. Breaking strong chemical bonds requires highly reactive substances. Lewis super-acids make a unique class of catalysts used in chemistry to accelerate reactions.
• ✅Statement 3 is correct. Because Lewis superacids are so reactive, they are hard to manufacture. however the research team, in a paper, said they used a “trick” to produce these super acids. Being able to make these super acids, enables non-biodegradable fluorinated hydrocarbons, similar to Teflon, and possibly even climate-damaging greenhouse gases, such as sulphur hexafluoride, to be converted back into sustainable chemicals.

Green Turtles:

• Green turtles are among the largest sea turtles and are the only herbivorous species within this group. They are named after the greenish hue of their cartilage and fat, not their shells.
• In the Eastern Pacific, local communities refer to green turtles with darker shells as black turtles. These turtles are primarily found in tropical and subtropical waters.
• Like other sea turtles, green turtles undertake long migrations between feeding areas and the beaches where they were born.
• Classified as endangered, green turtles face threats from the overcollection of their eggs, hunting of adult turtles, entanglement in fishing gear, and the loss of their nesting sites.

• ✅Pair 1 is correct. Itai-itai disease is caused by cadmium (Cd) exposure, produced due to human activities related to industrialization, and this condition was first recognized in Japan in the 1960s. Itai-itai disease is characterized by osteomalaecia with severe bone pain and is associated with renal tubular dysfunction. Cadmium is considered a cancer-causing agent. Itai-itai disease mainly affects women in rice farming areas irrigated by the contaminated Jinzu River in Toyama, Japan.
• ❌Pair 2 is not correct. Blue baby Syndrome is caused by using nitrate-contaminated drinking water to prepare infant formula. It is a well-known risk factor for infant methemoglobinemia resulting in a decrease in oxygen-carrying capacity in the hemoglobin of the infants. Affected infants develop a peculiar blue-gray skin colour and may become irritable or lethargic, depending on the severity of their condition. The condition can progress rapidly to cause coma and death if not recognized and treated appropriately. Nitrate pollution is linked to the use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers like urea. Higher the application, the greater the contamination of drinking water in wells adjoining fields.
• ❌Pair 3 is not correct. Blackfoot disease is an endemic peripheral vascular disease found among the inhabitants of a limited area on the southwest coast of Taiwan. Artesian well water with a high concentration of arsenic has been used for over eighty years. Black foot disease, which is endemic to South Taiwan, is a unique peripheral arterial disease characterized by severe systemic arteriosclerosis, dry gangrene, and spontaneous amputations of affected extremities at end stages.
• ❌Pair 4 is not correct. Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as "black lung disease," occurs when coal dust is inhaled. Over time, continued exposure to the coal dust causes lung scarring, impairing your ability to breathe. Considered an occupational lung disease, it is most common among coal miners. Other forms of pneumoconioses can be caused by inhaling dust containing Aluminum, Antimony, Barium, Graphite, Iron, Kaolin, Mica, and Talc. There is also a form called mixed-dust pneumoconiosis.