Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater). This form of environmental degradation occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Another kind of pollution is land pollution. Land pollution is the deterioration (destruction) of the earth's land surfaces, often directly or indirectly as a result of man's activities and their misuse of land resources.

Another kind of pollution is air pollution. Air pollution is the presence in or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects.