Editing Pollution (section)

==Definitions and types==
Various definitions of pollution exist, which may or may not recognize certain types, such as [[noise pollution]] or [[greenhouse gas]]es. The United States [[Environmental Protection Administration]] defines pollution as "Any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard. The usefulness of the natural resource is usually impaired by the presence of pollutants and contaminants."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vocabulary Catalog |url=https://sor.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/search.do;jsessionid=uJCB5Gu4w83V2Rvwe9ICdwSYPN92FIBDbphBhn8YAqz9GhWQ2_kk!918770883?details=&vocabName=Environmental%20Issues%20Glossary&filterTerm=pollution&checkedAcronym=false&checkedTerm=false&hasDefinitions=false&filterTerm=pollution&filterMatchCriteria=Contains |access-date=1 May 2022 |website=US EPA: System of Registries |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816015617/https://sor.epa.gov/sor_internet/registry/termreg/searchandretrieve/glossariesandkeywordlists/search.do;jsessionid=uJCB5Gu4w83V2Rvwe9ICdwSYPN92FIBDbphBhn8YAqz9GhWQ2_kk!918770883?details=&vocabName=Environmental%20Issues%20Glossary&filterTerm=pollution&checkedAcronym=false&checkedTerm=false&hasDefinitions=false&filterTerm=pollution&filterMatchCriteria=Contains |archive-date=16 August 2022 }}</ref> In contrast, the [[United Nations]] considers pollution to be the "presence of substances and heat in environmental media (air, water, land) whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesirable environmental effects."<ref>{{Cite web |title=pollution |work= glossary |url=http://data.un.org/Glossary.aspx?q=pollution#:~:text=UNdata%20source:%20Environment%20Glossary%20%7C%20United,activity%20that%20generates%20pollutants. |access-date=1 May 2022 |publisher=UNdata }}</ref>[[File:Smog in the centre of Moscow, 06.08.2010.JPG|thumb|[[Smog]] in the center of [[Moscow, Russia]] in August 2010]]
The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular [[contaminants]] relevant to each of them:
* [[Air pollution]]: the release of chemicals and [[particulates]] into the atmosphere. Common gaseous pollutants include [[carbon monoxide]], [[sulfur dioxide]], [[chlorofluorocarbon]]s (CFCs) and [[nitrogen oxide]]s produced by [[Secondary sector|industry]] and motor vehicles. Photochemical [[ozone]] and [[smog]] are created as nitrogen oxides and [[hydrocarbon]]s react to sunlight. [[Atmospheric particulate matter|Particulate matter]], or fine dust is characterized by their [[micrometre]] size PM<sub>10</sub> to PM<sub>2.5</sub>.
* [[Electromagnetic pollution]]: the overabundance of [[electromagnetic radiation]] in their [[non-ionizing]] form, such as radio and television transmissions, Wi-fi etc. Although there is no demonstrable effect on humans there can be interference with radio-astronomy and effects on safety systems of aircraft and cars.
* [[Light pollution]]: includes light trespass, [[over-illumination]] and [[astronomical]] interference.
* [[Littering]]: the criminal throwing of inappropriate man-made objects, unremoved, onto public and private properties.
* [[Noise pollution]]: which encompasses [[roadway noise]], [[aircraft noise]], [[industrial noise]] as well as high-intensity [[sonar]].
* [[Plastic pollution]]: involves the accumulation of plastic products and [[microplastics]] in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or humans.
* [[Soil contamination]] occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant [[soil contaminant]]s are [[hydrocarbon]]s, [[heavy metals]], [[Methyl tert-butyl ether|MTBE]],<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805125815/http://www.epa.gov:80/mtbe/water.htm |archive-date=5 August 2015 |url=http://www.epa.gov/mtbe/water.htm#concerns |work=Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether |title=Drinking Water |at=Concerns about MTBE |publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. EPA]]}}</ref> [[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. (See [[alpha emitter]]s and [[actinides in the environment]].)
* [[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]], which can refer to the presence of overhead [[electric power transmission|power lines]], motorway [[billboard (advertising)|billboards]], scarred [[landform]]s (as from [[strip mining]]), open storage of trash, [[municipal solid waste]] or [[space debris]].
* {{Anchor|Water pollution}}Water pollution, caused by the discharge of industrial wastewater from commercial and industrial waste (intentionally or through spills) into surface waters; discharges of untreated sewage and chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, from treated sewage; and releases of waste and contaminants into [[surface runoff]] flowing to surface waters (including urban runoff and agricultural runoff, which may contain chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as human feces from open defecation).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aboyeji |first=Oyebanji Oluseun |date=1 December 2013 |title=Freshwater Pollution in Some Nigerian Local Communities, Causes, Consequences and Probable Solutions |url=https://www.richtmann.org/journal/index.php/ajis/article/view/2307 |journal=Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies |doi=10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n13p111|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Englande |first1=A.J. |title=Wastewater Treatment &Water Reclamation☆ |date=2015 |journal=Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences |pages=B978-0-12-409548-9.09508-7 |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-409548-9.09508-7 |isbn=978-0-12-409548-9 |pmc=7158167 |last2=Krenkel |first2=Peter |last3=Shamas |first3=J.}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Ahmed |first1=Jebin |title=CHAPTER 1. Industrial Wastewater and Its Toxic Effects |date=2021 |work=Chemistry in the Environment |pages=1–14 |editor-last=Shah |editor-first=Maulin P |place=Cambridge |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |doi=10.1039/9781839165399-00001 |isbn=978-1-83916-279-4 |last2=Thakur |first2=Abhijeet |last3=Goyal |first3=Arun|doi-access=free }}</ref>