question_answer 8)

If all the wastes we generate are biodegradable, would it have no impact on the environment?

Answer:

Even the biodegradable wastes cause the environmental pollution when the rate of their input is more than that of their decomposition. Accumulation of biodegradable wastes arc responsible for: (i) The excess of domestic sewage and nitrates from fertilizers cause excessive growth of phytoplanktons called algal bloom. This results in the depletion of oxygen dissolved in water, which cause suffocation and killing of aquatic animals. (ii) The heaps of biodegradable solid wastes destroy the natural beauty of the landscape and make the surroundings unhygienic, while decay and decomposition of such wastes produces foul gases and causes air pollution.