Forms of pollution

The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular contaminant relevant to each of them:

· Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common gaseous pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight.

· Light pollution includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.

· Littering is the criminal throwing of inappropriate man-made objects, unremoved, onto public and private properties.

· Noise pollution encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar.

· Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

· Radioactive contamination, resulting from 20th century activities in atomic physics, such as nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research, manufacture and deployment.

· Thermal pollution is a temperature change in natural water bodies caused by human influence, such as use of water as coolant in a power plant.

· Visual pollution can refer to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards, open storage of trash, municipal solid waste or space debris.

· Water pollution, by the discharge of wastewater from commercial and industrial waste into surface waters; discharges of untreated domestic sewage, and chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, from treated sewage; release of waste and contaminants into surface runoff flowing to surface waters (including urban runoff and agricultural runoff, which may contain chemical fertilizers and pesticides); waste disposal and leaching into groundwater; eutrophication and littering.