Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :
Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution.
Statement-II :
Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
Show answer
Answer: A. Statement I is correct: discarded chewing gum sticks to streets and does not break down easily, so it is a source of litter and pollution. Statement II is correct and explains it: many gums use synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl acetate and polyisobutylene, which are plastics, as the gum base. That non-biodegradable plastic base is why gum pollutes.
Watch for: Students think gum is natural chicle, but most modern gum bases are synthetic plastics.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because the plastic gum base is the direct reason gum is a pollutant.
- C. Wrong because many gum bases really are made of synthetic plastic polymers.
- D. Wrong because chewing gum litter is a recognised pollution problem.
Source to check: UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Chewing Gum Task Force (2021); Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'Chewing gum'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.