Runoff carrying sediment, manure, fertilizers, and pesticides is best described as which type of runoff?

• A. Agricultural runoff
• B. Urban runoff
• C. Stormwater runoff
• D. Nutrient pollution

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is identifying runoff by where it comes from. When water runs off a farm field and picks up soil sediment, manure from animals, fertilizers, and pesticides, it’s carrying the signature pollutants of agricultural activity. That makes agricultural runoff the most precise label for this scenario.

Urban runoff would come from cities and typically include things like oil, metals, and litter from streets. Stormwater runoff is a broad term for any rain-driven runoff, and it can carry many kinds of pollutants, not just farm-related ones. Nutrient pollution describes the effect (excess nutrients in water causing problems like algal blooms) rather than the source of the runoff. So the farm-origin pollutants best describe agricultural runoff.