ABSTRACT
Environmental pollution can be defined as an addition of any substance to part or whole of the physical environment such as to alter its physical and/or chemical composition temporarily or permanently. As such, a distinction can be and often is made between natural and cultural pollution. The effect of pollution on organisms depends on the type of pollutant and where and in what form it is emitted. Anthropogenic pollution is caused by the production of domestic, agricultural and industrial waste materials, and the use of biocides and aerosols. The principal sources of air pollution include the combusion of fuels in the production of heat and power, exhaust transmissions from road and air transport and the use of synthetic chemicals. The sensitivity of an organism to a particular pollutant is dependent on its genetic, physiological and morphological characteristics on the one hand, and on the prevailing environmental conditions and the concentration of the particular pollutant on the other.
