Chromatography in Environmental Monitoring Humans have had a significant effect on the natural world. Our activities have had wide-reaching and long-lasting consequences for the planet. Pollutants can be found in all environments, and come from sources such as landfill sites, pesticides, and industrial waste. To effectively mitigate damage caused, effective monitoring programs must be designed. Image Credit: VAKS-Stock Agency / Shutterstock.com Environmental Monitoring – An Overview Environmental monitoring is a term that describes the activities and processes which are required to monitor and characterize environmental quality. Used to prepare environmental impact assessments as well as playing a role in monitoring situations where human activity has the potential to cause harm to natural environments, it is an important field of environmental science.