Q1. [2] § Introduction § 13.2 HOW DO OUR ACTIVITIES AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT?
''Excessive use of chemicals and pesticides in agriculture adversely effect the environment.'' Justify this statement.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 31/1/1 Q26
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:42 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Excessive use of chemicals and pesticides leads to biological magnification — harmful chemicals accumulate and become more concentrated at each higher trophic level in a food chain. Additionally, these non-biodegradable substances persist in the environment, polluting soil and water, disrupting the interdependence of ecosystem components and harming organisms at all trophic levels.
Explanation
- The examiner expects two key ideas: biological magnification (concentration of chemicals increasing up the food chain) and persistence/non-biodegradable nature of these chemicals polluting soil and water.
- The source passages emphasise ecosystem interdependence and the harmful effects of non-biodegradable waste — link your answer to these themes.
- Naming "biological magnification" specifically earns a mark; explaining the consequence earns the second mark.
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