Brian Barton
A pollutant is a substance or energy that is introduced into the environment, causing undesired effects and adversely affecting the usefulness of a resource. They can be naturally forming, such as minerals or extracted compounds like oil, or anthropogenic in origin, such as manufactured materials or byproducts. Pollutants can enter the environment through various pathways, including natural processes like volcanic ash and human activities such as industrial waste disposal. They have widespread negative impacts on the environment, including air, water, soil, and food quality, ultimately affecting the health of human and non-human populations. Pollutants can be categorized in several ways, such as stock pollutants and fund pollutants, and their effects can vary based on the concentration and the environment's absorptive capacity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Substances or energy introduced into the environment | Trash, toxic substances, carbon particles, loud noises, smoke, harmful gases, CFCs, oxides, combustion of solid wastes, industrial waste, oil spills, domestic and farm waste, pesticides, mining and agricultural waste, sewage, human waste, chemical pesticides, heavy metals, fossil fuels, etc. |
| Adversely affects the usefulness of a resource | Water, air, soil, food, human health and well-being, property values, plant and animal species, etc. |
| Caused by | Human activity, natural processes |
| Type | Primary, secondary, stock, fund, light, surface, regional, local, global, etc. |
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What You'll Learn
Natural vs. anthropogenic
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. They can enter the environment in a variety of ways and forms, both naturally and due to human activity.
Natural Pollutants
Natural pollutants are substances that enter the environment without any human intervention. They can include:
- Volcanic ash
- Windblown sand or dust
- Smoke from wildfires
- Ash from volcanoes
- Dust, sea salt, and organics from vegetation
Anthropogenic Pollutants
Anthropogenic pollutants are substances that enter the environment due to human activity. They can include:
- Trash
- Smoke from burning fossil fuels
- Carbon dioxide
- Nitrogen-containing aerosols from vehicles and fertilizer usage
- Particulate matter (PM2.5) from the burning of fossil fuels
- Persistent organic pollutants like PCBs, non-biodegradable plastics, and heavy metals
- Environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants (EPPP)
- Light pollution
Impact of Pollutants
Pollutants can have a variety of impacts on the environment and human health. They can cause air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular issues, as well as other health problems. Pollutants can also damage buildings and reduce crop production. Some pollutants can even cause long-term damage by changing the growth rate of plant or animal species or interfering with resources used by humans.
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Primary vs. secondary
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. They can be both naturally forming (e.g. minerals or extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (e.g. manufactured materials or byproducts).
Pollutants can be categorized in several ways. One way is to distinguish between stock pollutants and fund pollutants. Stock pollutants are those towards which the environment has a low absorptive capacity, such as persistent organic pollutants like PCBs, non-biodegradable plastics, and heavy metals. Fund pollutants, on the other hand, are those for which the environment has a moderate absorptive capacity, such as carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by plants and oceans. Another way to categorize pollutants is according to more specific properties, such as organic, particulate, or pharmaceutical.
Pollutants can also be classified as primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are those that are directly emitted into the environment from a particular source. Examples include particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur oxide. Secondary pollutants, on the other hand, are formed in the lower atmosphere by chemical reactions involving primary pollutants and external factors. Examples of secondary pollutants include ozone and secondary organic aerosol (haze). They are harder to control because they have different ways of synthesizing and their formation is not yet fully understood.
In addition to the horizontal zone (which refers to the area damaged by a pollutant), pollutants can also be categorized according to the vertical zone, which refers to whether the damage is ground-level or atmospheric. Surface pollutants cause damage by accumulating near the Earth's surface, while global pollutants concentrate in the atmosphere.
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Local vs. regional
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. They can be both naturally forming (e.g. minerals, volcanic ash, and extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (e.g. trash, manufactured materials, or byproducts).
Pollutants can be categorised in several ways, including:
- Stock pollutants vs. fund pollutants: Stock pollutants are those towards which the environment has a low absorptive capacity, such as persistent organic pollutants (e.g. PCBs), non-biodegradable plastics, and heavy metals. Fund pollutants, on the other hand, are those for which the environment has a moderate absorptive capacity, such as carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by plants and oceans.
- Primary pollutants vs. secondary pollutants: Primary pollutants are those that are directly emitted into the environment, while secondary pollutants are formed from primary pollutants and external factors.
- Local pollutants vs. regional pollutants: Local pollutants cause damage near the emission source, while regional pollutants cause damage further away from the source.
Local and regional pollutants differ in terms of the distance they travel from the emission source and the areas they impact. Local pollutants primarily affect areas near the source of emission, such as a specific neighbourhood or community. On the other hand, regional pollutants have a wider reach and can impact areas beyond their immediate vicinity, including neighbouring regions or even other states and countries.
Regional air circulation patterns can carry pollution from one area to another, spreading the impact of local pollution sources to surrounding regions. This phenomenon is evident in the case of Houston, Texas, where industrial activity and urban areas contribute to air pollution that affects the entire southeastern portion of the state. However, it is important to note that cities are expected to meet air quality standards, such as those set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), regardless of the sources of pollution.
The distinction between local and regional pollutants has implications for addressing pollution issues. For instance, in the case of Houston, efforts to reduce local emissions may not be sufficient to improve air quality if regional pollution continues to drift into the area. This complexity underscores the need for collaboration between local, regional, and even national entities to effectively tackle pollution and improve air quality on a broader scale.
Furthermore, the impact of local and regional pollutants can vary depending on demographic factors. Research has shown that people of colour and communities facing socioeconomic and environmental stressors are often disproportionately affected by air pollution, experiencing higher average concentrations of pollutants. This disparity is influenced by regional concentration gradients and local peaks near major sources of pollution. Addressing these disparities requires a nuanced understanding of the spatial distribution of pollutants and the development of strategies to reduce exposure within specific groups.
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Stock vs. fund
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. They can enter the environment in a variety of ways, both naturally and due to human activity. For example, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels release pollutants that reduce air quality and harm life.
Pollutants can be categorized in several ways, including:
- Primary pollutants: those directly emitted into the environment.
- Secondary pollutants: those formed from primary pollutants and other external factors.
- Stock pollutants: the environment has a low absorptive capacity for these pollutants, meaning they cause pollution even at low concentrations. Examples include persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like PCBs, non-biodegradable plastics, and heavy metals.
- Fund pollutants: the environment has a moderate absorptive capacity for these pollutants, meaning they only cause damage when the emission rate exceeds the environment's capacity. Carbon dioxide is an example of a fund pollutant, as it is absorbed by plants and oceans.
While fund pollutants can be converted into less harmful substances or diluted to non-harmful concentrations, stock pollutants have a more significant impact on the environment and human health. Stock pollutants can cause long-term damage by interfering with resources used by humans, affecting human health and wellbeing, and changing the growth rate of plant and animal species.
To mitigate the negative impacts of pollutants, international regulations and agreements, such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Basel Convention, have been put in place. These agreements aim to control and reduce the release and transfer of harmful substances into the environment, protecting human health and ecosystems.
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Degradation products
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. They can be naturally forming, such as minerals or extracted compounds like oil, or anthropogenic in origin, such as manufactured materials or byproducts.
Pollutants can enter the environment in a variety of ways and have varying and sometimes unique health effects. They can be categorised as primary pollutants, which are directly emitted into the environment, and secondary pollutants, which are formed from primary pollutants and external factors.
Pollutant degradation refers to the process of breaking down harmful substances in water or solvent pollution using methods such as photocatalysis, which involves the use of materials like TiO2 nanoparticles under light conditions to efficiently and economically treat wastewater. Enzymes are essential in the biological treatment of pollutant degradation trails, catalysing various reactions that may lead to the decomposition of natural resistant polymers and various biological mixtures.
Some pollutants are very complex and cannot be degraded in the environment. To address this issue, pathways prediction can be used to predict the possible degradation pathways for pollutants, breaking them down from their complex structures to simpler forms through certain transformation stages.
The degradation products of some pollutants are themselves pollutants. For example, DDE and DDD are produced from the degradation of DDT. Humic substances and colloids are degradation products from plants and animals and are a major part of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool in the aquatic environment. The presence of colloidal organic matter (COM) can drastically enhance the transport of pollutants. In marine systems, a correlation has been found between colloidal organic carbon (COC) and colloidal Cu, suggesting the role of COM in the transport of Cu.
The form and quantity of degradation products depend on reagent concentrations, dissolved oxygen concentrations, pH value, and Eh temperature. UV-visible spectrophotometry and thin-layered chromatography are techniques used to identify degradation products. Urea, a microbial degradation product of purines, is a common nitrogen waste product of many aquatic organisms. The acute toxicity of nitrogen mustard hydrolysis products indicates low-to-moderate toxicity to aquatic organisms.
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Frequently asked questions
A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has an undesired effect or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (e.g. minerals or extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (e.g. manufactured materials or byproducts).
Pollutants can be categorised in a variety of ways. One way is to distinguish between stock pollutants and fund pollutants. Stock pollutants have a low environmental absorptive capacity, while fund pollutants have a moderate absorptive capacity. Examples of stock pollutants include non-biodegradable plastics and heavy metals. Carbon dioxide is an example of a fund pollutant.
Pollutants have a negative impact on the quality of water, air, and land. They can cause a variety of health problems in humans, including respiratory diseases and other issues caused by decreasing air quality. Pollutants can also harm other species, decrease biodiversity, and contribute to climate change.
