Blue-baby syndrome is due to

Options

A. Air pollution
B. Soil pollution
C. Thermal pollution
D. Radioactive pollution

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Blue Baby Syndrome:**
- Blue Baby Syndrome refers to a condition observed in infants where they exhibit a bluish tint to their skin, particularly around the lips and fingertips. This condition is often accompanied by shortness of breath.

2. **Identifying the Cause:**
- The primary cause of Blue Baby Syndrome is the presence of nitrates in drinking water. Nitrates can be found in high concentrations due to agricultural runoff, particularly from fertilizers and pesticides.

3. **Conversion of Nitrates:**
- Once ingested, nitrates are converted into nitrites in the body. This conversion is significant because nitrites have a detrimental effect on hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen.

4. **Formation of Methemoglobin:**
- The nitrites react with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin. Unlike normal hemoglobin, methemoglobin cannot effectively carry oxygen. This leads to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues and results in symptoms like shortness of breath and cyanosis (bluish skin).

5. **Conclusion:**
- Therefore, Blue Baby Syndrome is caused by the presence of nitrates in water, which is often a result of soil pollution due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Hence, the correct answer to the question is that Blue Baby Syndrome is due to soil pollution.