Difference between point and non point source pollution?

Answer 1

the difference is that a point source pollution comes from a specific site & the non-point source pollution comes from many sources rather than a single specific site.

or

point source pollution is pollution that comes from a known and specific location. Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that does not have a specific point of orign....................:-)Hisme John

Answer 2

Point sources are a concept, that the size of the source may be ignored in computation of movement out of the point. If there is movement into a point, it would be a point sink. Many of these concepts originated with heat flow, but are used in analysis of pollution. Sound pollution, such as the noise from a construction site, or a sonic boom may be a good example of a point source. Pollutants originating from a smoke stack is another good example. In the area of water pollution, the pollution may be recognized long after it occurred, and the sources of pollution may be very distant from the source or sources. The dislocations in time and space add complications to identification of processes. Farm runoff of pollutants is a case, discussed in the links, where the complexities make identification of geometrically defined sources (point, line, plane, and others) impossible, so the source is considered non-point source (NPS). I have included two links, one related to point sources and another to non point sources of pollution.

Answer 3

Point source pollution has a definite, indentifiable source; a spilled oil drum. Non point source pollution does not have a definite, indentifiable source; the millions of vehicles polluting the atmosphere.