Types of Pollution
- Pollution can be classified based on different criteria, including:
- Point source pollution vs non-point source pollution
- Persistent pollution vs biodegradable pollution
- Acute effects of pollution vs chronic effects of pollution
- Primary pollution vs secondary pollution
Classifying Pollution
| Point Source | Non-Point Source |
| Point source pollution comes from a single identifiable source, such as a factory or a sewage treatment plant | Non-point source pollution comes from dispersed sources, such as runoff from agricultural fields or urban areas |
| Persistent | Biodegradable |
| Persistent pollution does not degrade or break down quickly, such as heavy metals or certain pesticides | Biodegradable pollution can be broken down by natural processes, such as organic waste |
| Acute Effects | Chronic Effects |
| Acute effects of pollution occur in a high concentration for a short period of time, such as an oil spill | Chronic effects of pollution occur over a long period of time in lower concentrations, such as air pollution from vehicle emissions |
| Primary | Secondary |
| Primary pollutants are directly emitted into the environment, such as carbon monoxide or particulate matter from burning fossil fuels | Secondary pollutants form when primary pollutants undergo physical or chemical reactions in the atmosphere, such as the formation of ozone from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds |
