Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management: Oil and Plastic Pollution — Practice Questions (0680)

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Water revision notes | Water study guide | Water practice questions

These questions cover sub-topics 3.5 Oil pollution and 3.6 Plastic pollution of Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management (0680), for exams in 2027 to 2029. The main Water practice page covers 3.1 to 3.4. The syllabus limits each list, so answers below use only the named causes, impacts and strategies.

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Section A

1. State three causes of oil pollution in marine and coastal ecosystems. [3]

2. What is MARPOL? [1]

3. Define a microplastic. [2]

4. Describe the difference between a conventional plastic and a bioplastic. [2]

Section B

5. Describe the impacts of an oil spill on (a) seabirds, (b) coral reefs and (c) beaches. [6]

6. Describe two strategies that reduce the chance of an oil spill, and three strategies that minimise the impacts once oil has been spilled. [7]

7. Explain how biodegradable plastics decompose and why they decompose at different rates. [4]

8. Explain how microplastics can harm top predators such as large fish and seals. [4]

9. A coastal town’s beaches are covered in plastic waste. Describe and explain three strategies for managing the impacts of plastic pollution. [6]

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Answers

1. Any three: off-shore and on-shore oil extraction [1]; pipelines [1]; shipping [1]; cleaning of tanks at sea [1]; refineries [1].

2. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, which sets rules to prevent pollution from ships, including oil [1].

3. A plastic piece less than 5 mm in length [1], formed when larger plastics break down or used in commercial products [1].

4. A conventional plastic is made from fossil fuels and is generally non-biodegradable [1]. A bioplastic is fully or partly made from biological raw materials rather than fossil fuels, and may be biodegradable or non-biodegradable [1].

5. (a) Oil coats feathers, so birds lose insulation and buoyancy and may die of cold or drowning [1]; birds swallow oil while preening and are poisoned [1]. (b) Oil smothers coral, blocking light and gas exchange [1], so coral and its algae die and the reef ecosystem is damaged [1]. (c) Oil coats sand and rocks, killing shore organisms [1] and causing visual pollution that harms tourism [1].

6. Prevention, any two, 2 marks each (strategy plus how it works): MARPOL — international rules limiting discharges of oil from ships [1] [1]; double-hulled oil tankers — a second inner hull keeps oil contained if the outer hull is breached [1] [1]; risk assessments — identifying dangerous routes and operations so precautions are taken [1] [1]; regular maintenance — of tankers, pipelines and rigs so leaks and failures are prevented [1] [1]. Minimising impacts, any three, 1 mark each: improved navigation systems to stop ships running aground [1]; booms to contain floating oil and sorbents to soak it up [1]; detergent sprays to break oil into droplets that disperse [1]; skimmers to remove oil from the surface [1]; controlled burning of oil on the water surface [1].

7. They are designed to decompose in water or soil [1], broken down by the action of bacteria and fungi [1] into water, biomass and gases (carbon dioxide and methane) [1]. Rates differ because of biotic and abiotic factors, such as the number of decomposers, temperature, moisture and oxygen [1].

8. Small organisms such as plankton and small fish mistake microplastics for food [1]. The plastic and the toxic chemicals attached to it build up in each organism’s body over time (bioaccumulation) [1]. When predators eat many contaminated prey, the concentration increases at each level of the food chain (biomagnification) [1], so top predators receive the highest doses, which can harm health and reproduction [1].

9. Any three, 2 marks each: avoiding single-use plastics, e.g. bans or charges on plastic bags and straws, reduces the amount entering the sea [1] [1]; alternative packaging, such as paper or reusable containers, replaces plastic [1] [1]; safe disposal, with more bins and regular collections, stops litter reaching the beach [1] [1]; recycling schemes turn waste plastic into new products [1] [1]; legislation and enforcement, such as fines for littering or dumping waste at sea [1] [1].

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between preventing and minimising an oil spill? Prevention strategies (MARPOL, double-hulled tankers, risk assessments, regular maintenance) stop oil escaping in the first place. Minimising strategies (improved navigation, booms and sorbents, detergent sprays, skimmers, controlled burning) reduce the damage once oil is in the water; note that improved navigation is listed by the syllabus as a minimising strategy.

Why are double-hulled tankers safer? A double hull has a second inner hull, so if the outer hull is holed in a collision or grounding the oil is still contained.

What are the impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems? The syllabus lists visual pollution, entanglement, the risk of plastic being mistaken for food, and bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

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Where marks are usually lost

• Mixing up prevention strategies (before a spill) with clean-up strategies (after a spill).
• Defining microplastics without the 5 mm limit.
• Describing bioaccumulation and biomagnification as the same process.
• Listing plastic strategies without explaining how they reduce the impact.