ABSTRACT
Just as there are a large number of pollutants in our environment, so are there many factors that affect the toxicity of these pollutants. The major factors affecting pollutant toxicity include physicochemical properties of pollutants and mode of exposure, time, environmental factors, interaction, biological factors, and nutritional factors. Characteristics such as whether a pollutant is solid, liquid, or gas; whether it is soluble in water or in lipid; organic or inorganic material; and so on, can affect the ultimate toxicity of the pollutant. Exposure time is another important determinant of toxic effects. Normally, one can expect that for the same pollutant the longer the exposure time the more detrimental the effects are. Environmental factors such as temperature, light, and humidity also influence the toxicity of pollutants. Thermal pollution has been a concern in many industries, particularly among power plants. The effect of light intensity on plant response to air pollutants is difficult to generalize because of several variables involved.
