CHAPTER 8 –

CLASSIFICATION AND
SOURCES OF POLLUTION
(AIR, WATER, AND LAND)
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AGRICULTURE
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3 AGRICULTURE
Is also responsible for gaseous
pollutants in the form of
methane produced by livestock
and solid pollutants from crop
residues, packaging materials,
and other wastes similar to
those produced domestically.
Animals also contribute to
waste products and potential
pollutants with their excrement.
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 5 TRANSPORT
These vehicles differ not only in their size, but also by using
different types of fuel such as petrol, diesel, and blended
fuel (10% ethanol and petrol). The intensity of the black
color is greater for poorly maintained vehicles, to the extent
sometimes that it makes the air hazy or smoky and causes
coughs and eye irritation. The lack of a policy to remove old
vehicles from the roads adds to the problem.
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7 PATHWAYS OF POLLUTION
The pathway of pollution is the way the pollutant
moves from the source, enters into the environment,
and finally how it reaches the human body or other
recipient. The pathway between source and recipient
can take several different forms depending on the type
of pollutant.
 Once released into the environment, the worst effects of many
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pollutants are reduced by one or more of the following processes:
• Dispersion – smoke disperses into the air and is no longer
noticeable away from the source.
• Dilution – soluble pollutants are diluted in the water of a river or
lake.
• Deposition – some suspended solids carried in a river settle (are
deposited) on the river bed.
• Degradation – some substances break down (degrade) by
natural processes into different, simpler substances that are not
polluting.
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WATER
POLLUTION
 WATER
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POLLUTION
Can affect surface water such as rivers and lakes,
soil moisture and groundwater in aquifers, and the
oceans. Water pollution Is characterized by the
presence of excess physical, chemical or biological
substances that change the qualities of the water
and are capable of causing harm to living organisms.
Polluted water should not be used for drinking,
washing, bathing or agriculture. If polluted water is
used by humans, then it can adversely affect the
body in different ways, depending on the type and
concentration of pollutant.
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AIR
POLLUTION
13 AIR POLLUTION
Can exist at all scales, from local to global, and
can include gases and solid particles. Air
pollution is defined as the presence in the air
of abnormal amounts of chemical constituents
capable of causing harm to living organisms.
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SOIL AND
LAND
POLLUTION
 SOIL AND LAND
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POLLUTION
Soil pollution, also called land pollution, is linked
to water pollution. Liquid wastes containing toxic
chemicals or pathogenic micro-organisms on the
surface of the land can seep slowly into the soil
and may percolate down to contaminate
groundwater, which can affect people using
springs or wells in the area. Solid waste can
cause soil pollution. A collection of solid wastes
in one place or scattered around is unsightly and
might smell bad to you as you pass by.
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