Pollution

Pollution refers to toxic pollution, largely as the byproduct of recharging friendly mechanoids. Even using a wood-fired generator or chemfuel generator won't create it, for instance.

Creation and Spread

Within Colonies

Ground pollution generated by a toxifier generator, visualized by the pollution overlay. The tiles under the player-built walls are polluted, though this does not show on the overlay.

A toxifier generator creates 6 tiles of pollution every 3 days. Each toxic wastepack that is destroyed also creates 6 tiles of pollution. Any means of destroying wastepacks creates pollution, except for the wastepack atomizer.

Pollution spreads in an expanding circle. Natural rock walls block pollution spread, but player-made walls and structures do not.

Defoliator ships will also pollute an expanding circle of tiles when landing, centered on the ship. This is in addition to the actual defoliation; the additional pollution spreads much slower.

On the World Map

Dumping wastepacks on a hex utilizing caravans or transport pods will increase the pollution percentage of the hex by 0.05% per Wastepack dumped, or 1.3% per full transport pod. Once a world map hex reaches 100% pollution, any additional pollution gain will instead happen to one of its 8 possible neighboring tiles- this can spread pollution to the player's colony if one is not careful.

Dumping wastepacks within 15 tiles of another faction settlement will cause the player to take a relationship penalty, scaling up with the number of wastepacks dumped and proximity to the settlement. Outlander and pirate factions may send a drop pod of waste back at you, while hostile factions can raid you.

Pollution may also exist from world generation, where certain tiles will be heavily polluted. You can configure the pollution coverage, with 5% as a default.

Summary

Pollution takes the form of polluted tiles. Polluted soil has a fertility of 50%, regardless of the soil's original quality, and can only grow a limited number of plants: Toxipotatoes, devilstrand, psychoid, and a few types of trees (grey pine, deadbarrow cactus, etc.). Colonists will also recieve toxic buildup from these tiles.^{[Detail Needed]} Having polluted tiles increases the map's overall pollution, which causes a number of effects.

Pollution on the ground can be turned back into toxic wastepacks with a pollution pump, or by ordering colonists to clean it up.

Acidic Smog

If there is enough pollution present within 4 tiles of your world tile, a weather effect known as Acidic smog will occur. How often depends on the level of pollution present. Tiles 2-4 spaces away have a 0.5x multiplier to pollution.

Acidic smog covers the area with a greenish haze, reduces light levels by −28%, slows plant growth by ×50% (stacking with reduced light for a total of 22% growth), gives non-immune colonists the −5 Acidic Smog moodlet, and deteriorates items at 300% speed. Items and pawns indoors are not affected by acidic smog in any way. Having the Total antitoxic lungs or Tox immunity gene renders immunity to the acidic smog moodlet.^{[Other immunities?]}

It affects pollution-friendly plants such as toxipotatoes the same as it does other plants. It does not provide or maintain Pollution stimulus's effects.

Even without acidic smog, polluted terrain tiles when traversed by pawns without genes, implants or gear protective against pollution will cause toxic buildup, which will eventually kill them.

Insectoids

Originally engineered as anti-mechanoid bioweapons, Giant insects are drawn to pollution. When a toxic wastepack is destroyed, there's a chance for insectoid cocoons to emerge from the ground. These coccoons will hatch if a pawn comes within a small radius of it.

Pollution Stimulus

Insects and humans with the Pollution Stimulus gene are stimulated by the toxic fumes of polluted terrain, making them faster and deadlier.

Pollution stimulus (minor):
- Moving x110%
- Consciousness +5%
Pollution stimulus (moderate):
- Moving x115%
- Consciousness +5%
Pollution stimulus (maximum):
- Moving x120%
- Consciousness +5%

Pollution Mitigation

For dealing with wastepacks themselves, see Toxic wastepack#Disposal.

Cleaning polluted tiles

Having colonists manually clean pollution via the Zoning tab. This exposes them to toxic buildup.
Pollution pumps automatically pick up pollution in the area when powered.
Letting polux trees cleanly consume pollution. However, they only grow in sufficiently polluted areas, and seeds are difficult to come across.

Note that the former two ways of cleaning pollution up only turn it into toxic wastepacks, which then need to be dealt with somehow.

Living with pollution

Apparel items. Face masks (+50%) and gas masks (+80%) give Toxic Environment Resistance. This protects the user from accumulating toxic buildup as quickly.
Artificial parts. The detoxifier kidney (+50% toxic resistance) and detoxifier lung (+60% environmental resistance) will slow the effects of pollution. Two organs of the same type, or a lung and a mask, will stop toxic effects of pollution.
Genes. Tox resistance gives +50% toxic resistance. Partial antitoxic lungs give +50% environmental resistance. Tox immunity or Total antitoxic lungs render full immunity to pollution and acidic smog.

Biotech (DLC)

Families: Relationships (Reproduction • Children)
Life stages (Babies • Children • Adults)
Furniture (Crib • Baby sleeping spot • Growth vat • Toy box • Baby decoration • School desk • Blackboard)
Mechanoids: Laborers (Agrihand • Cleansweeper • Constructoid • Fabricor • Lifter • Paramedic • Tunneler)
Combatants (Centurion • Legionary • Militor • Scorcher • Tesseron)
Commanders (Apocriton • Diabolus • War queen • War urchin)
Mechanitors: Control (Mechlink • Band node • Mech boosters • Mech signallers • Control pack • Airwire headset)
Mechanoid creation (Basic subcore • Standard subcore • High subcore • Subcore encoder • Subcore softscanner • Subcore ripscanner • Mech gestator)
Maintenance (Mech recharger)
Genetics: Xenohumans (Dirtmoles • Genies • Highmates • Hussars • Impids • Neanderthals • Pigskins • Sanguophages • Wasters • Yttakin)
Genes Germline • Xenogene • Metabolic efficiency
Genetic Modification Genepack • Gene extractor • Gene bank • Gene assembler • Gene processor • Xenogerm • Archite capsules
Deathrest (Deathrest accelerator • Deathrest capacity serum • Deathrest casket • Glucosoid pump • Hemogen amplifier • Hemopump • Psychofluid pump)
Pollution: Nature (Toxalope • Toxipotato plant • Waste rat • Gray pine tree • Pebble cactus • Rat palm tree • Witchwood tree • Stasis cocoon)
Mitigation (Wastepacks • Atomizers • Pollution pumps • Polux trees)
Adaptation Face mask • Gas mask • Tox grenades • Tox pack • Tox shell • Toxic needle gun • Toxbomb launcher • Detoxifier kidney • Detoxifier lung
Nonchalance Toxifier generator