Which statement best defines pollution?

• A. The contamination and destruction of natural resources
• B. The harming, contaminating and destruction of the natural environment
• C. The maintenance of clean air and water
• D. The recycling of wastes

Answer: (B)

Pollution means harming and contaminating the environment, causing damage to air, water, soil, and living organisms. The statement that describes this broad harm—harming, contaminating and destroying the natural environment—best captures what pollution is, because it includes the overall impact on ecosystems, not just one part of the environment.

One option focuses only on natural resources being contaminated and destroyed, which misses the broader idea that pollution can affect air, water, soil, and wildlife beyond just the resources themselves. Another option talks about maintaining clean air and water, which describes a goal or outcome of reducing pollution, not what pollution is. The last option—recycling wastes—relates to managing waste and reducing pollution, not to defining pollution itself.

For example, releasing pesticides into a river harms water quality, disrupts aquatic life, and can affect people downstream. That kind of widespread harm illustrates the concept of pollution as described in the best statement.