Q44 · UPSC Prelims 2025 · Set A · Environment and Ecology

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Consider the following:I.Cigarette buttsII.Eyeglass lensesIII.Car tyres How many of them contain plastic?

A Only one
B Only two
C All the three
D None

Correct answer: (c) All the three

Explanation

  1. A

    Only one

    Only one. Cigarette filters, lenses and tyres all contain plastic polymers.

  2. B

    Only two

    Only two. The official count is all three.

  3. C

    All the three

    All the three. Cigarette butts (cellulose acetate), eyeglass lenses (polycarbonate/CR-39) and car tyres (synthetic rubber plus polymers) all contain plastic.

  4. D

    None

    None. Each listed item has a plastic component.

Summary. Official Set A key is (c) all three. A cigarette butt is mostly a cellulose-acetate filter. Spectacle lenses are plastic resins. A car tyre is natural and synthetic rubber with polymer fillers and a plasticised bead. Microplastics from all three are in the environment story. None of the three is plastic-free, so ‘only one’ or ‘only two’ under-counts.