Pollution and Wastes

Notes Jan. 12, 2011

Waste is any unwanted byproduct of a certain activity, but it is not considered pollution when its levels surpass what nature can handle.
A pollutant is any waste in excessive amounts.

Every living thing produces waste, but even the waste from other species could turn into pollution when its levels skyrocket. Example: an uncleaned aquarium, algal blooms.

When there is an uncontrolled growth of population, the amount of wastes produced by the organisms becomes so much that it is said the it pollutes the ecosystem. Pollution limits growth, harms health, or has otherwise negative effects.
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What is pollution?
The presence of a waste or an agent in quantities higher than what the environment can naturally handle.

Every waste or agent has different tolerance levels. Some wastes are considered pollutants just by the fact of being produced, i.e. chemicals.The agents and wastes that are considered pollutant the instant they are produced are those that are not naturally present in an environment.

Types of pollution

• Point source: Pollutants that can be tracked to a particular source.
• Non-point source: Pollutants for which a clear source cannot be precisely identified.

Pollution is constantly present due to human activity. Pollution management is a term that has been present since the Industrial Revolution, but it was not until the 20th century when the concept started becoming important. During the time of the Industrial Revolution, the people did not consider that the wastes produced by the industrial processes would become a major pollutant that would compromise the health of different ecosystems. This era was characterized by unprecedented and uncontrolled development.