"Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change."
A study of the different types of pollutants that exist in the environment, their sources, and their effects on human health and the ecosystem.
Environmental Chemistry: The study of the chemical processes that occur in the environment.
Pollutants: Chemical substances that are harmful to the environment and living organisms.
Sources of Environmental Pollutants: Natural and human-made sources of pollutants.
Natural Sources of Pollution: Volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and other natural disasters.
Human-made Sources of Pollution: Industry, transportation, agriculture, and energy production.
Air Pollution: The presence of harmful substances in the atmosphere.
Water Pollution: The presence of harmful substances in bodies of water.
Soil Pollution: The presence of harmful substances in soil.
Toxicity: The degree to which a substance can cause harm to living organisms.
Bioaccumulation: The build-up of pollutants in the tissues of living organisms.
Biomagnification: The increase in concentration of pollutants as they move up the food chain.
Remediation: The process of removing pollutants from the environment.
Environmental Regulations: Laws and policies that regulate the release of pollutants into the environment.
Environmental Impact Assessment: The process of assessing the potential impact of human activities on the environment.
Sustainability: The ability to maintain environmental quality for future generations.
Air Pollutants: The presence of harmful substances in the air, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone.
Water Pollutants: The presence of harmful substances in the water, such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals.
Soil Pollutants: The presence of harmful substances in the soil, such as lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and volatile organic compounds.
Radiation Pollutants: The presence of harmful radiation, such as ionizing radiation from nuclear reactors or waste, radioactive substances, or ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Noise Pollutants: Excessive noise levels that can cause physical and psychological harm to humans and wildlife.
Thermal Pollution: The release of heat into the environment, often from industries or power plants, which can cause harm to aquatic life.
Light Pollution: Excessive artificial light that distracts or harms wildlife, disrupts natural ecosystems and can lead to sleep disorders in humans.
Microplastic Pollution: The presence of small plastic particles in the environment, which can harm marine life and enter the food chain.
Acid Rain: Caused by the release of acidic gases into the air that then fall to the ground as rain, causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems.
Ground-level Ozone: Formed by a chemical reaction of pollutants in the air under sunlight, this pollutant can cause respiratory problems and harm vegetation.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Substances that are resistant to breaking down in the environment, such as dioxins, PCBs, and pesticides, which can bioaccumulate in the food chain and harm human health.
Greenhouse Gases: The release of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change.
Eutrophication: The excessive enrichment of water with nutrients, which can cause the overgrowth of algae and harm aquatic ecosystems.
"Major forms of pollution include air pollution, light pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, visual pollution, and water pollution."
"Pollutants can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants."
"Sources created by human activities, such as manufacturing, extractive industries, poor waste management, transportation, or agriculture."
"Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution."
"Many sources of pollution were unregulated parts of industrialization during the 19th and 20th centuries until the emergence of environmental regulation and pollution policy in the later half of the 20th century."
"In 2019, pollution killed nine million people worldwide (one in six deaths), a number unchanged since 2015."
"Air pollution accounted for 3⁄4 of these earlier deaths."
"A 2022 literature review found that levels of anthropogenic chemical pollution have exceeded planetary boundaries and now threaten entire ecosystems around the world."
"Pollutants frequently have outsized impacts on vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, and marginalized communities."
"Polluting industries and toxic waste sites tend to be collocated with populations with less economic and political power."
"This outsized impact is a core reason for the formation of the environmental justice movement."
"The outsized impact on marginalized communities continues to be a core element of environmental conflicts."
"Local, country, and international policy have increasingly sought to regulate pollutants, resulting in increasing air and water quality standards, alongside regulation of specific waste streams."
"Regional and national policy is typically supervised by environmental agencies or ministries."
"International efforts are coordinated by the UN Environmental Program and other treaty bodies."
"Pollution mitigation is an important part of all of the Sustainable Development Goals."
"In 2019, pollution killed nine million people worldwide (one in six deaths)."
"Air pollution accounted for 3⁄4 of these earlier deaths."
"A number unchanged since 2015."