UPSC Prelims 2012 · GS Paper I
Question 15: Environment and Ecology
Lead, ingested or inhaled, is a health hazard. After the addition of lead to petrol has been banned, what still are the sources of lead poisoning?
- 1.Smelting units
- 2.Pens and pencils
- 3.Paints
- 4.Hair oils and cosmetics
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
After leaded petrol was phased out, lead poisoning still comes from smelting and battery-recycling units and from lead-based paints, which flake and contaminate dust and soil. Pencil 'lead' is graphite mixed with clay, not lead, and pens do not contain it. UPSC does not treat hair oils and cosmetics as a recognised major source.
- 1. Lead smelters release lead into air and soil.
- 2. Pencil 'lead' is graphite; pens are not a lead source.
- 3. Lead-based paints are a continuing source of exposure.
- 4. UPSC does not count hair oils and cosmetics as a main source.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (a), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 2.
What you needed to know: Pencil 'lead' is graphite; pens are not a lead source.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 1, 3 or 4.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: pens and pencils are not sources of lead; pencil 'lead' is graphite.
- (b) Correct: smelting units and lead-based paints remain sources of lead poisoning.
- (c) Wrong: pens and pencils are not lead sources, and it leaves out smelters and paints.
- (d) Wrong: it adds pens, pencils, and hair oils and cosmetics, which UPSC excludes.
Worth knowing: Some cosmetics, such as kohl or surma, have been found to contain lead, so statement 4 is arguable, but UPSC's key excludes it.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2012, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.