Critical Reasoning

Leachate is a solution, frequently highly contaminated, that develops when water permeates a landfill site. If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate escape into the environment, generally in unpredictable quantities. A method must be found for disposing of leachate. Most landfill leachate is send directly to sewage treatment plants, but not all sewage plants are capable of handling the highly contaminated water.
Which one of the following can be inferred from the passage?

(A) The ability to predict the volume of escaping landfill leachate would help solve the disposal problem.

(B) If any water permeates a landfill, leachate will escape into the environment.

(C) No sewage treatment plants are capable of handling leachate.

(D) Some landfill leachate is send to sewage treatment plants that are incapable of handling it.

(E) If leachate does not escape from a landfill into the environment, then the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids has not been exceeded.

IMO D

I'd say "E"

A: Its not because you know when leachate would escape that this gives you a place nearby to bring it (since not all treatment plants can handle leachate)

B. This is not true. There won't be leakage untill the landfill's capacity to hold liquids has been exceeded

C. Some plants are able, others are not.

D. It's not because some plants can't handle leachate that they still receive it.

E. Quote: "If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate escape into the environment,"

Seems to me that E is the correct answer.

Its "E"

I choose D even if E seems to be correct at first. I'll explain my line of reasoning because maybe I'm wrong.

The passage states that

If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate escape into the environment

let's say

C = the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded
E = leachate escapes into the environment

The if and only if is very important here because it changes the implication.

without it the implication should be

C ----> E and therefore not E ---> not C

but because we have the if and only if we know that the only reason because the leachate escapes into the environment is because the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded.

so E ---> C and therefore we cannot conclude that not E ---> not C.

I would say - E.

D is a contender, but it cannot be concluded as a must be true....can we have official answer please?

Here's why it should be E and not D

For inference questions we must always be able to prove the answer choice by referring back to the argument. The answers are usually

(1) Paraphrase of one or more of the premises in the argument
(2) Logical conclusion from one or more premises in the argument

If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate escape into the environment,

E is nothing but a paraphrase of whats given in the argument i.e using (1) above

but not all sewage plants are capable of handling the highly contaminated water

Choice D is Some landfill leachate is sent to sewage treatment plants that are incapable of handling it.Do we know that leachate has been sent to some sewage plants from whats given in the argument?? NO....

If choice D was

Some sewage treatment plants are incapable of handling the leachate sent to them.-> YES this would be a logical conclusion i.e. using (2) above


Hope this helps also, along with other's explanations!

Regards,
CR

I think Cramya is right, I just read again the question and D can't be proved and the conclusion I drew is not correct so the answer should be E.

Can we have the OA?

E should pass on as the correct one.

The passage says most of the fluid is sent and many plants aren't able to handle but is silent if it is mostly that they arent handled.

IMO E

If and only if P then Q menas If P then Q and If Q then P.

Applause !

OA (E)

cramya wrote:Here's why it should be E and not D

For inference questions we must always be able to prove the answer choice by referring back to the argument. The answers are usually

(1) Paraphrase of one or more of the premises in the argument
(2) Logical conclusion from one or more premises in the argument

If and only if the landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded does the leachate escape into the environment,

E is nothing but a paraphrase of whats given in the argument i.e using (1) above

but not all sewage plants are capable of handling the highly contaminated water

Choice D is Some landfill leachate is sent to sewage treatment plants that are incapable of handling it.Do we know that leachate has been sent to some sewage plants from whats given in the argument?? NO....

If choice D was

Some sewage treatment plants are incapable of handling the leachate sent to them.-> YES this would be a logical conclusion i.e. using (2) above


Hope this helps also, along with other's explanations!

Regards,
CR

Option E looks good than other answers

D seems to be the best choice here