Inorganic Contaminants are chemical compounds of mineral origin that do not contain which elements?

• A. They contain carbon and hydrogen
• B. They do not contain carbon and hydrogen
• C. They are always organic
• D. They are derived from plants

Answer: (B)

At the heart of this question is the distinction between organic and inorganic contaminants in terms of carbon-hydrogen content. Organic contaminants are typically carbon-based and contain carbon-hydrogen bonds. Inorganic contaminants, by contrast, are mineral-origin compounds that generally do not have carbon-hydrogen bonds, so they are described as not containing carbon and hydrogen in the same way as organics.

That’s why the statement that inorganic contaminants do not contain carbon and hydrogen is the best fit. It matches the common lab distinction used to separate organic versus inorganic pollutants.

The other ideas would describe organics or plant-based sources, which isn’t the typical characterization for inorganic contaminants.