What term refers to environmental damage caused by humans through the release of substances?

The term that refers to environmental damage caused by humans through the release of substances is pollution. Pollution encompasses a broad range of harmful effects inflicted on the environment, including the introduction of toxic chemicals, waste products, and other pollutants into air, water, and soil. This can take various forms, such as air pollution from vehicle emissions, water pollution from industrial discharges, and soil contamination from agricultural chemicals. Pollution results in detrimental impacts on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health, making it a critical concern in environmental science.

The other terms listed do describe specific forms of environmental change but do not capture the broader concept of damage specifically caused by the release of substances. Deforestation refers to the clearing of forests for land use, eutrophication describes the process where water bodies become overly enriched with nutrients leading to excessive growth of algae, and desertification is the degradation of land in arid areas, which can be driven by various factors including climate change and unsustainable land practices. Each of these is an important environmental issue in its own right, but pollution specifically addresses the release of harmful substances into the environment.