Answer the question on basis of passage given below:
Chloroform is a very useful solvent for oils, fats and waxes and many organic compounds. It can also be used for preserving biological specimens. Chloroform was used as a general anaesthetic in surgery for a long time but because of its toxic nature, it is no longer used these days.
Exposure to chloroform can:
(A) depress central nervous system
(B) cause dizziness
(C) may damage liver and kidneys
(D) may increase the iron concentration in blood
Identify correct statements:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (B) and (C) only
The toxic effects of chloroform follow from its old use as an anaesthetic: its vapours act on the nervous system, and the body metabolises it in the liver.
(A) depress central nervous system — Correct. This is the anaesthetic action of its vapours.
(B) cause dizziness — Correct. Short exposure to about 900 ppm in air causes dizziness, fatigue and headache.
(C) may damage liver and kidneys — Correct. Chronic exposure damages both organs.
(D) may increase the iron concentration in blood — Incorrect. The effects of chloroform are on the nervous system, the liver, the kidneys and the skin; none of them involves the iron in blood.
NCERT (2026-27 edition):
Trichloromethane (Chloroform) – “As might be expected from its use as an anaesthetic, inhaling chloroform vapours depresses the central nervous system. Breathing about 900 parts of chloroform per million parts of air (900 parts per million) for a short time can cause dizziness, fatigue, and headache. Chronic chloroform exposure may cause damage to the liver (where chloroform is metabolised to phosgene) and to the kidneys, and some people develop sores when the skin is immersed in chloroform.”