Which of the following is true about a pollutant?
A) Pollutants are natural and so organisms develop adaptations to deal with them.
B) Pollutants can cause both indirect or direct damage by interrupting biochemical pathways of organisms.
C) Most pollutants are capable of causing massive mortality events for marine organisms.
D) The concentration of pollutants in the ocean has remained stable since the industrial revolution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pollutants can cause damage to organisms both directly, through physical contact, and indirectly, through the interruption of biochemical pathways.

Answer: A and C are both incorrect.
 Pollutants are usually synthetic and not naturally occurring substances. While some organisms can develop adaptations to deal with pollutants, many cannot, leading to negative impacts on populations. While some pollutants can cause massive mortality events, this is not true of all pollutants.

Answer: D is incorrect. 
 The concentration of pollutants in the ocean has increased since the industrial revolution, causing significant damage to marine ecosystems.

Which of the Following Is True About a Pollutant