There are many different types of organic pollutants, examples are:
- Hydrocarbons.
- PCB's are stable and unreactive fluids that are used as hydraulic fluids, coolant/ insulation fluids in transformers.
- Insecticides such as DDT's are very dangerous because they accumulate in fat tissues of lower animals and then enter the food chain.
- Detergents.
Inorganic pollutants include fertilizers, such as nitrates and phosphates. Nitrates and phosphates cause algal blooms in surface water, which causes the oxygen level of the water to decline.
Both arsenic and fluoride are ubiquitous in the environment. These two elements are recognized worldwide as the most serious inorganic contaminants in drinking water.