Pollution

What is Pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances or energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or non-point source pollution.

Pollution can be described as contamination of air, water and soil by introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment, usually by humans that are harmful to living organisms. The most common forms of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and agricultural pollution and land pollution.

Pollution is defined by The American Heritage Science Dictionary as the “contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste.”