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Food safety and health
Threats to soils and food security
Securing the future
Food safety and health - Quiz

Food safety and health - Quiz

Answer each question below, then choose Check answers to see your score. You can reveal the correct responses after marking.

1 What is the main strong link between soils, health and food safety?

Soil contains numerous minerals essential for plants, animals and humans Everyone eats soil as a child! The healthiest foods are grown in soil

2 What effect can soil pollution and contamination have on soil, water and air pollution?

Toxins and carcinogens can be released Water might stop flowing in our streams Everyone might start to sneeze a lot

3 We need to understand the management of contaminants and would-be soil pollutants because?

Because soil plays a major part in adsorbing nutrients, filtering and leaching We rely on the soil for our food supplies Both the above

4 Which of these is an unfortunate legacy of the Industrial Revolution?

Much contaminated land, e.g. by lead, coal and arsenic Clay is now used for making pots and plates Some upland soils have high radioactivity All of the above

5 What problem arose from the greatly increased use of fertilisers following World War Two?

Much fertiliser was washed or leached through the soil, contaminating water tables More factories were built to supply fertilisers Farmers all grew taller Horses were not needed to plough any more

6 Why is it a problem if the water table becomes contaminated with chemicals?

Pollution can damage or even destroy aquatic ecosystems The water tastes nasty The water table sinks deep into the ground

7 Poorly managed landfill sites can be a potentially worrying source of soil pollution because...

Both synthetic and organic-based pollutants can be found, mainly from industrial outlets soil is used to cover over the waste Such chemicals make rats grow huge! All of the above

8 What does the European Commission's 'critical load' concept measure?

Pollution levels beyond which soil might be damaged How much lorries carry on European roads How much waste landfill sites can accept

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