List of Pollutants

By Irina Bright.

This article is part of our Environment section

See the complete list of all our Pollution Articles here.

Common types of pollutants include air, water and soil pollutants. Below is a summary of most common pollutants.

Air Pollutants

  • Sulfur dioxide
  • Nitrogen oxides
  • Ammonia
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • Ozone
  • Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
  • Airborne particles
  • Toxic metals
  • Radioactive pollutants

Learn more about Air Pollutants here.

Water Pollutants (Ref. 1)

Organic water pollutants:

  • Insecticides and herbicides, a range of organohalide
  • Bacteria from livestock operations
  • Food processing waste incl. pathogens
  • Tree debris from logging operations
  • VOCs including solvents and hydrocarbons
  • Dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) such as chlorinated solvents
  • Detergents and chemical compounds found in cosmetics products

Inorganic water pollutants:

  • Heavy metals
  • Acidity caused by industrial discharges such as sulfur dioxide by power plants
  • Chemical waste
  • Fertilizers from agricultural use
  • Silt from construction sites, logging, slash and burn operation

Soil Pollutants (Contaminants) (Ref. 2)

  • Hydrocarbons
  • Solvents
  • Pesticides
  • Lead and other heavy metals

References.

1. Water pollution. (March 18, 2008). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Water_pollution&oldid=199105005

2. Soil contamination. (March 16, 2008). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soil_contamination&oldid=198686131