1) Read the following paragraph and answer the following questions. The countries which do not have oil reservoirs in their land, import oil from other countries. But sometimes during transportation of oil through sea routes, accidental oil spill occurs. This oil spilled in the ocean may prove fatal and toxic to aquatic animals. Therefore, removal of this spilled oil is essential for protection of aquatic life. For removing this oil layer, certain microbes like Pseudomonas spp and Alcanivorax borkumensis are used. These microbes have the ability to destroy the pyridines and other toxic chemicals. The hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria (HCB) are able to decompose the hydrocarbons and bring about the reaction of carbons with oxygen resulting in formation of CO​2​ and water. Like oil spills cause damage

to aquatic life, plastic forms the major part of the garbage on the land. Plastics are difficult to degrade as they are made up of PET, by research various species like Vibrio and Ideonella sakaiensis which can degrade PET have been identified. There are certain species of microbes which can decompose rubber from garbage.
a) How are aquatic organisms affected by oil spills in the ocean?
b) Which type of chemical compounds are degraded by microbes used for
clearing oil spills?
c) Name any two species of microbes which can degrade rubber from
garbage.
d) Why should there be a ban on plastic bags?