Contaminant Types and Nature of Sources in General Aspects

In recent decades, the magnitude of contaminated land and water has dramatically increased globally by various sources such as natural and anthropogenic sources. The contamination of the environment is the greatest challenge for contemporary world. Land and water become contaminated with various types of contaminants as a result of industrialization and overexposure of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. The common types of contaminants include natural, anthropogenic, organic, and inorganic contaminants. Rapid increase of population created amplification of agricultural and industrial production, led to the enhancement of waste generation and energy consumption, and related load to the environment and subsequent changes in the composition of the land and water. The common sources of contamination are point sources and non-point sources which may include industrial effluents, sewage treatment plants, and contamination from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, agricultural runoff including soil erosion, waste, and precipitation. The critical increase in the contamination level in land and water creates huge menace to all types of organisms including humans. The present chapter provides an overview of various types of land and water contaminants and their nature of sources in general aspects.