Deutsch: Luftschadstoffe / Español: Contaminante del aire / Português: Poluente do ar / Français: Polluant atmosphérique / Italiano: Inquinante atmosferico /

An Air Pollutant is any substance in air that could, in high enough concentration, harm man, other animals, vegetation, or material. Pollutants may include almost any natural or artificial composition of airborne Matter capable of being airborne.

They may be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, gases, or in combination thereof. Generally, they fall into two main groups: (1) those emitted directly from identifiable sources and (2) those produced in the air by interaction between two or more primary pollutants, or by reaction with normal atmospheric constituents, with or without photoactivation. Exclusive of pollen, fog, and dust, which are of natural origin, about 100 contaminants have been identified. Air Pollutants are often grouped in categories for ease in classification; some of he categories are: solids, sulfur compounds, volatile organic chemicals, particulate matter, nitrogen compounds, oxygen compounds, halogen compounds, radioactive compound, and odors.


Other definition:
An air pollutant is any substance in the air which causes damage to life, ecosystems or property.
airshed - An airshed is the geographic area responsible for emitting a significant percentage of the air pollution reaching a body of water. Since different pollutants behave differently in the atmosphere, the airshed of a given body of water may vary depending on the Pollutant of interest. While watersheds are actual physical features of the landscape, airsheds are determined using mathematical models of atmospheric deposition.