Pollution

The national planning policy framework (NPPF) defines pollution as: 'Anything that affects the quality of land, air, water or soils, which might lead to an adverse impact on human health, the natural environment or general amenity. Pollution can arise from a range of emissions, including smoke, fumes, gases, dust, steam, odour, noise and light.'

CIRIA's Delivering green infrastructure along linear assets. Scoping study (phase 1) defines pollution as: 'A change in the physical, chemical, radiological or biological quality of a resource (air, land or water) caused by humans or their activities that is injurious to the existing, intended or potential uses of the resource.'

Water for life and livelihoods, River basin management plans, Glossary, Published by the Environment Agency in 2016, defines diffuse pollution as: ‘Pollution from widespread activities with no one discrete source, e.g. pesticides, urban run-off etc. Pollution resulting from scattering or dispersed sources that are collectively significant but to which effects are difficult to attribute individually.’

NB On 20 May 2019, the British Safety Council launched a campaign to have air pollution recognised as an occupational health hazard for construction workers and others who work outdoors. Ref https://www.britsafe.org/about-us/press-releases/2019/it-s-time-to-recognise-air-pollution-as-an-occupational-health-hazard/

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Air quality.
• Brownfield land.
• Climate-altering pollutants.
• Construction dust.
• Contaminated land.
• COSHH.
• Deleterious materials.
• Diffuse pollution.
• Fertilizer groundwater pollution.
• Greenhouse gas.
• Hazardous substances.
• Indoor air quality.
• Light pollution.
• Methane and other gasses from the ground.
• Miasma theory.
• Natural pollutant.
• Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990.
• Point source pollution.
• Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPGs).
• Ozone depleting substance.
• Noise pollution.
• Radon.
• Smog.
• Solid and liquid contaminants risk assessments.
• Sources of external pollution.
• Specific pollutant.
• Water pollution.