Observe your environment to detect changes in the smell of air and visibility. Keep an eye out for a smoky-smelling, dark atmosphere that rises above cities to identify smog, an example of air pollution.
Test the quality of air and water through the use pollution home testing kits. Purchase these from local stores and place them within your house when testing for air quality. Identify water pollution, too, by inserting testing devices or equipment in a sample of water. The equipment will identify the level of pollution.
Look for traces of grit and dirt in water bodies or samples of water. Establish turbidity or clarity by observing a body of water to establish if you can see through the water. If you cannot see through, the water may be polluted.
Apply home testing kits to assess the levels of chemicals in the soil. Use a trowel to collect soil samples from 3 inches below the ground and label these samples. Place the home testing kit in the soil and use the charts that accompany the kit to interpret the levels of contamination in the soil.