Consider the following statements regarding non-renewable resources and health hazards:

Question

Consider the following statements regarding non-renewable resources and health hazards:

I. Coal and petroleum are non-renewable resources whose extraction often leads to land subsidence and acid mine drainage.

II. Long-term exposure to groundwater contaminated with arsenic is associated with skin lesions and black-foot disease.

III. Indoor air pollution from solid-fuel stoves does not cause any significant health burden in developing countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. I and II only (Correct answer)
2. B. I and III only
3. C. II and III only
4. D. I, II and III

Correct Answer

Option A — I and II only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I and II only.

Key Points

• Statement I is correct. Coal and petroleum are non-renewable, and their extraction is associated with land subsidence where worked-out seams collapse, and with acid mine drainage, where pyrite exposed to air and water generates sulphuric acid that mobilises heavy metals into streams.
• Statement II is correct. Chronic ingestion of arsenic-contaminated groundwater causes skin lesions — hyperkeratosis and pigmentation changes — and black-foot disease, a peripheral vascular condition, along with raised risks of skin, bladder and lung cancer.
• Statement III is incorrect, and plainly so. Indoor air pollution from solid-fuel stoves is one of the largest environmental health burdens in developing countries, causing acute respiratory infection, COPD and cardiovascular disease, and falling disproportionately on women and young children.

Additional Information

• The Indian and WHO limit for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L; India's IS 10500 allows 0.05 mg/L only where no alternative source exists. Contamination is severe in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains, especially West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.
• Black-foot disease takes its name from the gangrene of the extremities documented in arsenic-affected areas of Taiwan.
• India's policy response to household smoke is the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which distributes LPG connections specifically to displace biomass and coal stoves.
• Acid mine drainage is self-sustaining once started, which makes prevention through sealing and neutralisation far cheaper than remediation.