chemical pollutant

chemical pollutant

A chemical substance that enters the environment through industrial, agricultural or other human activities, which poses an immediate or potential hazard to plant, animal or human life; the major chemical pollutants are heavy metals (e.g., mercury and lead), aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., benzene and other petrochemicals), organic solvents (e.g., toluene and xylene), organohalides (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls -PCBs and polybrominated biphenyls-PBBs), dioxins and others (e.g., nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxides).