Highlights
Environmental pollution is contamination of air, water and land from man-made waste. Pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and climate change. Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles into the atmosphere. Water pollution includes surface runoff, leakage into groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater discharge and littering. If toxins are spilled on the ground or if an underground storage tank leaks, soil can become contaminated. Well known contaminants include herbicides and pesticides. Toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, which pollutes the natural environment and contaminates groundwater.
Other types of pollution include ocean...
Other types of pollution include ocean...
Environmental pollution is contamination of air, water and land from man-made waste. Pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, global warming and climate change. Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles into the atmosphere. Water pollution includes surface runoff, leakage into groundwater, liquid spills, wastewater discharge and littering. If toxins are spilled on the ground or if an underground storage tank leaks, soil can become contaminated. Well known contaminants include herbicides and pesticides. Toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, which pollutes the natural environment and contaminates groundwater.
Other types of pollution include ocean pollution and noise pollution. Environmental pollution can have a deadly effect on humans and ecosystems. For example, cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke, causes cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart attack. Drinking water can become contaminated by untreated sewage, rashes and skin problems occur due to oil spills, while excessive noise can cause hearing loss. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977. Pollution is a bigger concern in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. Time Magazine reported in 2007 that the most polluted spots in the world included China, India, Peru and Russia.
Other types of pollution include ocean pollution and noise pollution. Environmental pollution can have a deadly effect on humans and ecosystems. For example, cigarette smoke, including second-hand smoke, causes cancer, emphysema, stroke and heart attack. Drinking water can become contaminated by untreated sewage, rashes and skin problems occur due to oil spills, while excessive noise can cause hearing loss. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to put a limit on the amount of pollutants in the air. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1963, the Noise Control Act in 1972 and the Clean Water Act in 1977. Pollution is a bigger concern in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. Time Magazine reported in 2007 that the most polluted spots in the world included China, India, Peru and Russia.
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Preckwinkle names state official new head of county environment department
Clout StPosted by Erika Slife at 1:10 p.m. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle today introduced a state natural resources administrator as the county's new environmental chief. Deborah Stone, Stone, 54, will make $110,104 overseeing the county's... -
Group outlines recommendations for Hickory Creek watershed
TribLocal - Tinley Park » NewsAs population and development continue to grow in the south and west suburbs, the Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group is developing recommendations for communities to …... -
Breathing life into the game
If you compiled a roster of world-class athletes with asthma, the list would be long — and impressive. From marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, to former NBA stars Dennis Rodman and Dominique Wilkins, to tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez...Tags: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Physical Fitness and Exercise, Coughing, Celebrities and Health Issues, Lungs and Airways
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Tiny specks of trouble
Anyone who's yearned for a clean house can attest to the seemingly supernatural properties of dust. No sooner have you banished it from the bookshelf than it peeks out from under the bed, shape-shifting from powdery and puffy to sticky and stringy. But...Tags: Human Body, Arizona, Symptoms, Lungs and Airways, Asthma
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Food allergies not tied to eczema for most
Eczema is notoriously difficult to treat in children. The torturous dry-skin disease causes intense itching and sleeplessness, and sometimes parents try making dietary changes in addition or in place of conventional treatments.
For about one-third of...Tags: Human Body, Judaism, Drugs and Medicines, Allergies, Colleges and Universities
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Miners voice concerns with proposed Ind. coal mine
Associated PressPlans for a new coal mine in southern Indiana have reignited a feud between an aluminum manufacturer and mine workers, who are concerned about safety because of its proximity to the former Squaw Creek Mine, where millions of gallons of hazardous...Tags: Coal, Bodies of Water, Rivers, Mining, Ohio River
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Axelrod weighs in on budget showdown in Washington
President Barack Obama's top campaign aide David Axelrod said Americans just want politicians in Washington to get their jobs done. Axelrod's comments came Thursday as Obama and congressional lawmakers try to reach a deal on cuts in government...Tags: Environmental Politics, Washington (U.S. state), Barack Obama, White House, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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$12 million cleanup at Muskegon Lake starts in May
A $12 million cleanup of contaminated sediment from Muskegon Lake is expected to begin in May. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced that it and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality had given approval for the...Tags: Environmental Politics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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College plans electronics recycling event this weekend
TribLocal - ElmhurstGot a printer that's seen better days or a computer screen that's gone dark? Elmhurst College will host an Electronics Recycling Event from 9 a.m. …... -
Will e-waste recycling law compute?
Jerry Spangler knew his old computers should be recycled, but he wasn't sure where to take them. So they collected dust in his closet for nearly a decade until recently, after a bit of spring cleaning, he dropped them off at a small shed in a...Tags: Companies and Corporations, Fines, Punishment, Judges, Electrical Appliance
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Shutdown talks yield no deal as clock ticks
AP Special CorrespondentTime growing short, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders failed to reach agreement Thursday night on a compromise to cut spending and head off a midnight Friday government shutdown that no one claimed to want. Obama, House Speaker John...Tags: Bill Clinton, National Institutes of Health, Heads of State, White House, Abortion
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Tension renewed over reopening mine
A former coal miner is urging state officials not to renew a permit for companies to mine a site where millions of gallons of hazardous wastes were dumped more than 30 years ago. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold a meeting...Tags: Indiana, Alcoa Incorporated
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