Pollution that enters underground water sources is called which?

• A. Surface water pollution
• B. Air pollution
• C. Groundwater pollution
• D. Sediment pollution

Answer: (C)

Pollution seeping into underground water sources is groundwater pollution. Groundwater sits in underground reservoirs called aquifers and supplies wells and springs. When contaminants—like nitrates from fertilizer, pesticides, leaking fuel tanks, or septic system effluent—trickle through the soil and reach this saturated zone, they contaminate the water people rely on. Groundwater moves slowly, so pollutants can linger for a long time and are often harder to detect and clean up than surface water pollution. Preventing it means keeping contaminants out of the soil in the first place, through proper handling and storage of chemicals, spill prevention, maintenance of septic systems, careful fertilizer practices, and protecting areas where rainwater infiltrates the ground. The other types describe issues in different places or forms: surface water pollution affects rivers and lakes, air pollution involves contaminants in the air, and sediment pollution refers to excess solid particles in water from erosion rather than underground sources.