Consider the following:Cigarette buttsEyeglass lensesCar tyresHow many of them contain plastic?

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2025 UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2025 question covers Invasive Species, Microplastics & Emerging Threats topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2025 Environment & Ecology question has a easy difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

Q: Where can I find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions?

You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

Consider the following:Cigarette buttsEyeglass lensesCar tyresHow many of them contain plastic?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C - All the threeStep-by-step Solution:Plastic is a broad term encompassing synthetic or semi-synthetic polymers. Many everyday items contain plastic in less obvious forms.Item I - Cigarette butts: The filter in cigarette butts is made of cellulose acetate, which is a type of plastic (a cellulose-based synthetic polymer). Cigarette butts are among the most collected plastic litter items globally. They are non-biodegradable and leach toxic chemicals into water bodies. ✓Item II - Eyeglass lenses: Modern eyeglass lenses are predominantly made from optical-grade plastics such as CR-39 (allyl diglycol carbonate), polycarbonate, trivex, or high-index plastic polymers. Even when coated with anti-reflective or scratch-resistant materials, the base material is plastic. Glass lenses, while still available, have largely been replaced by plastic variants. ✓Item III - Car tyres: Car tyres, though primarily made of natural and synthetic rubber, also contain significant amounts of plastic-like synthetic polymers. Synthetic rubber (SBR - styrene-butadiene rubber) is itself a polymer. Additionally, tyres contain nylon and polyester cords (reinforcing fibres), which are plastics. Tyre wear is a major source of microplastic pollution in the environment. ✓Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Only one): Incorrect. All three items contain plastic in some form.Option B (Only two): Incorrect. All three contain plastic - including tyres, which contain synthetic rubber polymers and plastic reinforcing cords.Option D (None): Incorrect. All three are well-documented sources of plastic or plastic-like polymers.Key Concept: Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in diameter. Primary microplastics are manufactured at small sizes (e.g., microbeads in cosmetics, plastic pellets). Secondary microplastics result from the breakdown of larger plastic items such as cigarette butts, packaging, and tyres. Tyre wear particles (TWPs) are among the largest sources of microplastic pollution in urban runoff. India banned single-use plastics (SUPs) of specified items from July 2022 under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2021. The UN Global Plastics Treaty is being negotiated to address the full lifecycle of plastics.

Consider the following:Cigarette buttsEyeglass lensesCar tyresHow many of them contain plastic?

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More Questions from Invasive Species, Microplastics & Emerging Threats

Frequently Asked Questions

Consider the following:Cigarette buttsEyeglass lensesCar tyresHow many of them contain plastic?

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Invasive Species, Microplastics & Emerging Threats

Frequently Asked Questions