Which term describes a pollution source that is diffuse and does not originate from a single location?

• A. Non-point Source
• B. Point Source
• C. Local Source
• D. Point Pollution

Answer: (A)

Non-point source pollution describes pollution that comes from many different places rather than a single outlet. It is diffuse because rainfall, irrigation, and runoff pick up pollutants from broad areas—fields, roads, rooftops—and carry them into streams, lakes, or groundwater without a single identifiable source. This is different from a single pipe or smokestack discharge, which would be a point source. So pollutants from agricultural runoff, road salt washed into rivers, or sediment from construction sites illustrate non-point source pollution, since there isn’t one location to pinpoint.