5.1.1-.2 Point and non-point source Pollution

Pollution is “any substance that is added to air, water, soil or food that threatens the health, survival or activities of humans and/or other organisms.” It could be in the form of matter or energy, e.g. nitrates which cause algal blooms or an increase in temperature which will cause a decrease in the dissolved oxygen in bodies of water.

Point source pollution

Point source pollution Point source pollution (as seen above) comes from a single, identifiable source e.g. a smokestack, drain pipe or car exhaust. For these reasons it is generally easier to manage this type of pollution as its impact is more localized and legal action and responsibility can be more easily assigned. However because point sources may be scattered and extremely numerous (tailpipes of millions of cars) it is a difficult task to manage.

Non-point source pollution

Non-point source pollution Non-point source pollution (see above) on the other hand comes from dispersed and not easily identified sources, e.g. run-off from farm land. This is much harder to identify and therefore to manage and to assign responsibility