Which statement best distinguishes a hazard from a pollutant?

• A. A hazard is any chemical that can be harmful, while a pollutant is a substance released into the environment with harmful impacts
• B. A hazard is the same as a pollutant
• C. Pollutants are harmless
• D. Hazards are not chemicals

Answer: (A)

A hazard is the inherent potential of a substance to cause harm, present regardless of whether it is released into the environment. A pollutant is a substance that has been released into the environment and can cause adverse effects there, especially when exposure occurs. So the best answer recognizes that harm is tied to the intrinsic properties of the chemical (hazard), while a pollutant emphasizes environmental release and the resulting potential for harm.

The other ideas miss this distinction: hazards and pollutants are not the same thing; pollutants are not necessarily harmless; and hazards can include chemicals as well as other agents, not something that would be described as not chemicals.