Free Environmental Health and Sanitation MCQs with Answers

• A. Store it in a covered container with a narrow opening
• B. Keep it in an uncovered bucket for easy access
• C. Pour it into a wide bowl before each use
• D. Add more chlorine whenever the water looks cloudy

Explanation: A covered, narrow-opening container limits hand contact, dust and insects entering the water.

• A. Disinfection by chlorination or boiling
• B. Sedimentation in a storage tank
• C. Straining through a clean cloth
• D. Aeration by exposing water to air

Explanation: Disinfection is the final protective step that destroys many remaining pathogens after suspended particles have been removed.

• A. Provide safe latrines and promote handwashing
• B. Distribute sunglasses during outdoor activities
• C. Increase street lighting around the houses
• D. Advise residents to avoid eating spicy foods

Explanation: Safe excreta disposal and handwashing after defecation and before food preparation break the fecal-oral chain.

• A. Exclude the worker from food preparation until recovery
• B. Allow work if the worker wears two pairs of gloves
• C. Assign the worker to prepare only cold foods
• D. Permit work after the worker takes an antidiarrhoeal drug

Explanation: A food handler with vomiting or diarrhoea may spread enteric pathogens through hands, surfaces and food, so the worker should not prepare…

• A. Place it in a puncture-resistant safety box without recapping
• B. Recap it with two hands and place it in general waste
• C. Break the needle before placing it in a covered container
• D. Put it on the procedure tray for disposal at the end of the shift

Explanation: Immediate disposal into a puncture-resistant sharps container prevents needlestick injuries and blood-borne infection.

• A. Remove or cover containers holding stagnant water
• B. Spray perfume inside bedrooms each evening
• C. Keep windows closed only during the afternoon
• D. Place food waste in open baskets outside homes

Explanation: Aedes mosquitoes breed in small collections of stagnant water, so emptying, covering or cleaning water containers reduces breeding sites.

• A. Improve ventilation and use a cleaner cooking fuel
• B. Burn more fuel quickly to shorten cooking time
• C. Close all windows to prevent outdoor dust entering
• D. Use incense to mask the smell of smoke

Explanation: Improved ventilation and cleaner fuels reduce inhalation of smoke and fine particles from biomass burning.

• A. Reduce noise exposure and use correctly fitted ear protection
• B. Use cotton in the ears only when ringing becomes severe
• C. Take analgesics before each shift to prevent hearing loss
• D. Increase the machine speed so work finishes earlier

Explanation: Repeated loud-noise exposure can cause permanent sensorineural hearing loss, so reducing the source and using suitable hearing protection…

• A. Providing a community system for safe sewage disposal
• B. Bathing daily and changing clothes regularly
• C. Brushing the teeth after meals
• D. Washing the hands before eating

Explanation: Environmental sanitation controls hazards in the surroundings through safe sewage disposal, water supply and waste management.

• A. Remove contaminated clothing and wash the skin with running water
• B. Cover the arms with a dry dressing before washing them
• C. Apply an oily cream to prevent further absorption
• D. Make the worker vomit to remove absorbed pesticide

Explanation: Removing contaminated clothing and promptly flushing the skin reduces continued absorption through the skin.

• A. Boil the water vigorously for at least one minute
• B. Leave the water uncovered in direct sunlight for ten minutes
• C. Add a small amount of salt and stir the water
• D. Strain the water through a clean cotton cloth only

Explanation: Vigorous boiling for at least one minute kills most disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites in drinking water.

• A. An open pit located beside the household well
• B. A covered pit that prevents contact with human excreta
• C. A shallow pit emptied into a nearby irrigation canal
• D. An uncovered pit placed near the community food market

Explanation: A covered pit reduces contact with feces, flies, animals and people, helping interrupt fecal-oral disease transmission.

• A. Build a protected platform and drainage around the source
• B. Store the water in open buckets for easier inspection
• C. Encourage people to collect water only after sunset
• D. Add food colouring so contaminated water is recognised

Explanation: A protected water point with proper drainage prevents animal waste and surface runoff from entering the source.

• A. Keep refuse in a covered container until scheduled collection
• B. Throw refuse into an open drain during the evening
• C. Burn all refuse beside the family cooking area
• D. Leave refuse in an uncovered heap for natural decomposition

Explanation: Covered storage followed by regular collection limits flies, rodents, bad odours and accidental contact.

• A. Rinse the same knife briefly before cutting tomatoes
• B. Use clean utensils and a separate preparation surface
• C. Place the tomatoes beside the raw chicken while preparing them
• D. Wipe the knife on a cloth and continue preparing the salad

Explanation: Separate clean utensils and preparation surfaces prevent organisms from raw poultry reaching ready-to-eat food.

• A. Downhill from the well, with good separation from the water source
• B. Immediately uphill from the well to simplify water collection
• C. Inside the well enclosure so the area remains under supervision
• D. Between the well and the kitchen to shorten walking distance

Explanation: A latrine should be separated from the drinking-water source and preferably placed downhill so seepage is less likely to reach the well.

• A. Sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net
• B. Keep windows open throughout the night without screening
• C. Drink extra water before going to sleep
• D. Apply antibiotic ointment to exposed skin

Explanation: Insecticide-treated nets reduce contact with night-biting Anopheles mosquitoes and provide a major personal protection measure against…

• A. Move the person to fresh air and arrange urgent medical assessment
• B. Give the person a sedative and allow rest in the same room
• C. Close the windows to prevent further temperature loss
• D. Offer a heavy meal before deciding whether help is needed

Explanation: These symptoms may indicate carbon monoxide exposure, so safety and breathing take priority.

• A. Adequate ventilation with reduced overcrowding
• B. Thick carpets placed throughout the sleeping area
• C. Closed windows and heavy curtains during the daytime
• D. Shared sleeping rooms with tightly packed beds

Explanation: Ventilation dilutes and removes infectious airborne particles, while reducing overcrowding decreases close exposure.

• A. Move the worker to a cool area and begin rapid cooling
• B. Give a hot drink and return the worker to the workstation
• C. Cover the worker with thick blankets to prevent chilling
• D. Ask the worker to walk outside independently for fresh air

Explanation: Confusion, hot skin and collapse suggest severe heat illness, in which immediate cooling and emergency assessment are required.