ABSTRACT
This chapter considers pollution and explains the difficulty involved with defining it, beginning a process that will allow readers to create their own definitions of pollution—though each reader's definition will vary. In order to prevent or mitigate pollution events, highly trained interdisciplinary practitioners are needed to monitor air, water, and soil quality. Generally, professionals responsible for environmental pollution monitoring, prevention, or control are thoroughly trained in environmental science or environmental health. Societies are the primary engines of resource use, converting materials and energy into wealth, delivering goods and services, and creating waste or pollution. Major advances in technology have resulted in enormous transformation and pollution of the environment. A prevailing tendency toward consumerism in a throw-away society leads to resource abuse, resulting in ever-increasing amounts of pollution released to the environment. A more practical view of pollution is required, one that allows sustainable development of healthy and vigorous industrial activity to provide the goods and services required by modern civilization.
