Abstract

Pollution of waters is a major environmental concern for human health and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. There is a requirement for an improved scientific understanding of the processes involved in pollutant mobilization and transportation in order to help control and mitigate the delivery of pollutants to waters and any detrimental effects such pollutants have. This paper describes the link between erosion processes (soil and channel bank) and the delivery and transport of pollutants in surface waters. It also discusses diffuse sources of sediment and pollution from urbanized and industrialized areas of a river basin, such as the road network. The role of sediment storage and the effect of particle flocculation in the overall sediment delivery process are considered. Finally, some options for controlling sediment and pollutant delivery to surface waters are presented.

Keywords: Pollution, waters, sediment, soil erosion, sediment and pollutant transport