HOW TO DEFINE POLLUTION?
National Geographic defines pollution as “the introduction of harmful materials into the environment” and can be released into the environment either naturally or by human intervention. There are many different categories of pollutants (e.g. chemical, microbial, nutrients, radioactive) that can most generally be divided into point source and non-point source pollution.
Point Source pollution: Any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack
Non point source pollution: Pollutants originating from multiple sources and locations such as water runoff picking up pollutants on the ground, agricultural operations, or forestry operations.
To discuss the transport of pollutants in more detail, a “Fate and Transport” analysis of a chosen pollutant can be conducted. This is a common scientific analysis that can be done to determine the “Fate” – where a pollutant/contaminant may end up in the environment, and “Transport” – The analysis of a how a pollutant moves through different soil/ water/ air environments.
An overview of different pollutant types can be selected below.
First, select a pollutant class: