Question

Which of these pollutants is biodegradable?

Answer 1

Answer:

Food waste

Explanation:

Food waste is an organic compound, unlike the other choices. Organic compounds are biodegradable because living organisms, such as decomposers, have evolved mechanisms of breaking down these large carbon-based compounds/polymers into smaller molecules for energy. Food waste is therefore easily recycled into the environment.

The others do not have naturally occurring organisms to break them down or reduce them. They would, therefore, accumulate in the environment. This is exactly what is happening to plastc pollution. Accumulation of plastic in the environment is due to fact that they are not broken down into simpler molecules by any naturally occurring bacteria or organisms in the environment.