Pollutants and Contaminants both deals with unwanted elements. The two are often used interchangeable but they don't actually mean the same.
Contaminants
are potential toxic substances present in an environment. They are physical, chemical, biological or radiological in nature but are seldom harmful as they are mostly in low concentration.
Examples of physical contaminants are sediment or organic materials suspended in the water bodies from soil erosion.
Examples of chemical contaminants include nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, humans or animal drugs.
Examples of biological contaminants include the presence of bacteria, viruses, protozoan, and parasites.
Examples of radiological contaminants include cesium, plutonium and uranium.
These contaminants although harmful are often overlooked since they usually occur minimally (not in all cases) and rarely poses real threats to survival of lives.
Contaminants at high level become Pollutants.
Pollutants
are substances produced by the direct or indirect activities of man in the environment which in turn poses threat to the existence and survival of other living things including man himself.
Pollutants are generally grouped into two:
Biodegradables such as organic wastes, dead plants and their produce, dead animals.
Non-biodegradables such as plastics, bottles, cans.
Biodegaradables can be absorbed and cleared by the environment naturally, so they won't persist on a long-term except if on a very large scale that will be difficult to control. However, non-biodegradables will constitute a menace on accumulation and recycling is the only way to keep them in check.
...
All Pollutants are Contaminants but, not all Contaminants are Pollutants
...
Its unfortunate that Man has become a pest and threat to the survival of Mother Earth. All we do is take from it. We hardly give it anything in return except harm.
Many aesthetic places have highly depreciated in environmental safety and quality and presence of wildlife due to man's activities.
Some of the worst examples includes:
Pacific ocean
Mount Everest
Great barrier reef
Galapagos island
Local rivers and streams
Some group of researchers recently made a claim that- Humans have destroyed about a tenth of Earth's wilderness in 25 years and there might be no unspoilt places left in a century.
