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Visual pollution refers to the visible deterioration and negative aesthetic quality of the natural and human-made landscapes around people [1] and to the study of secondary impacts of manmade interventions. [2] It also refers to the impacts pollution has in impairing the quality of the landscape, formed from compounding sources of pollution to ...
Nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution, refers to contamination by excessive inputs of nutrients. It is a primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters (lakes, rivers and coastal waters ), in which excess nutrients, usually nitrogen or phosphorus, stimulate algal growth. [1] Sources of nutrient pollution include surface runoff from ...
Environment portal. Ecology portal. v. t. e. Persistent organic pollutants ( POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. [1] They are toxic and adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. Because they can be transported by wind and water, most POPs ...
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable (from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) definition). [3]
Xenobiotic. Not to be confused with xenobiology. A xenobiotic is a chemical substance found within an organism that is not naturally produced or expected to be present within the organism. It can also cover substances that are present in much higher concentrations than are usual. Natural compounds can also become xenobiotics if they are taken ...
Environmental hazards are those hazards that affect biomes or ecosystems. [1] Well known examples include oil spills, water pollution, slash and burn deforestation, air pollution, ground fissures, [2] and build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide. [3] Physical exposure to environmental hazards is usually involuntary [3]
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. [1] Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. About 31% of Earth's land surface is covered by forests at present. [2]
Fossil fuel. A fossil fuel [a] is a hydrocarbon -containing material such as coal, oil, and natural gas, [2] formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. Fossil fuels may be burned to provide heat for use directly (such as for cooking or heating), to power engines ...