NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Pollution that does not originate from a single source, or point, is called nonpoint-source pollution. Liquid, solid, and airborne discharges from point sources as well as pollutants from nonpoint sources may go either into surface water or into the ground.

Detailed explanation-2: -It is in contrast to point source pollution which results from a single source. Nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage, or hydrological modification (rainfall and snowmelt) where tracing pollution back to a single source is difficult.

Detailed explanation-3: -Nonpoint source pollution comes from oil, pet waste, pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer, road salt, bacteria, sediment, and any other contaminant that ends up on the ground naturally or from human activity.

Detailed explanation-4: -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines point source pollution as “any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack.” Factories and sewage treatment plants are two common types of point sources.

Detailed explanation-5: -Point source pollution is pollution where the source of the pollution can be identified, such as a spill or discharge. Non-point source pollution is when the source of pollution either cannot be identified or may come from many sources.