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Which type of pollution is causing the most danger to the world and why?

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Which type of pollution is causing the most danger to the world and why?

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-Research what the worst pollution problem
-Interview someone about pollution questions
-Go to a well known area or a park and go around with a group of people and pick up trash.

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Land can become polluted by house hold garbage and by industrial waste. In 2014, Americans produced about 258 million tons of solid waste, according to the U.S Enviormental Protection Agency.

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Commercial or industrial waste is a significant portion of solid waste. According to the Universy of Utah, provide the average American family with needed products for one year.

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Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” Yet while we all know water is crucial for life, we trash it anyway. 80%'s of earths wastewater is dumped—largely untreated—back into the environment, polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans.

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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Introduction

Water is essential for life. People depend on safe water for their health and livelihood. But contaminated water leads to millions of deaths and even more illnesses every year.

Water pollution is any contamination of water with chemicals or other hazardous substances that are detrimental to human, animal, or plant health.

Possible sources of water contamination are:

Corroded water pipes that leach harmful chemicals, such as lead

Hazardous waste sites and industrial discharges

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural operations

Naturally occurring hazardous chemicals, such as arsenic

Sewage and food processing waste

Drinking Water

Drinking water in the U.S. comes from a variety of sources, including public water systems, private wells, or bottled water. Worldwide, nearly 2 billion people drink contaminated water that could be harmful to their health. Though more of a concern in developing countries, safe drinking water is a U.S. public health priority.

Health Effects

Examples follow of potential drinking water contaminants and reported health effects, which can range from subtle to severe depending on the chemical and total exposure.

Arsenic - a known human carcinogen associated with skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer

Lead - behavioral and developmental effects in children; and cardiovascular and kidney problems

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) chemicals - damage to the immune and reproductive systems

Pesticides - neurodevelopmental effects and Parkinson's disease

Waterborne Disease From All Water Sources

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated the burden and direct healthcare cost of infectious waterborne disease in the U.S. When drinking, recreational, and environmental water sources were considered together, they found more than 7 million cases of 17 different waterborne illnesses occur annually. New waterborne disease challenges are emerging due to factors such as aging infrastructure, chlorine-tolerant and biofilm-related pathogens, and increased recreational water use.

What Is NIEHS Doing?

NIEHS research examines potential health effects of contaminants in water and explores ways to protect the public from contact with unsafe water.

The (Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study), funded by NIEHS and the National Institutes of Health Common Fund, studies the health of people who helped with the oil spill response and clean-up, took training, signed up to work, or were sent to the Gulf of Mexico to help in some way after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. NIEHS is leading this research effort with the support of many community groups. Nearly 33,000 people joined the study, making it the largest study ever conducted on the health effects of an oil spill. The study has tracked numerous health issues reported by cleanup workers, including skin rashes, wheezing and difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea, depression and anxiety, and heart attacks. However, the most recent publication to emerge from the research suggests that some health effects associated with the spill may resolve over time.

Read about previous and current Gulf Oil Spill Response Efforts.

NIEHS and the National Science Foundation jointly fund research on marine-related health issues through the Centers for Oceans and Human Health. Grantees, for example, develop techniques for more accurate and earlier detection of harmful algal blooms with the goal of preventing and reducing exposure. They also study the health effects of eating seafood containing toxins produced by harmful algal blooms. Contaminants of emerging concern, such as microplastics, are also studied.

NIEHS offers time-sensitive grants that enable researchers to launch studies quickly in response to natural disasters, industrial accidents, or policy changes that affect water quality. In addition, the National Toxicology Program, located at NIEHS, reviews available toxicology studies and conducts short- and long-term studies to help public health officials respond to threats to the safety of drinking water. For example:

Researchers measured PFAS exposures in residents near Colorado Springs whose water was contaminated with the PFAS perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), as well as contamination of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina by the PFAS GenX.

Scientists were able to address the concerns of residents of Flint, Michigan about their exposure to lead, giving them rapid information on how great the risk was and ways they might limit the exposure.

NTP completed a series of studies on the toxicity of chemicals that spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia, January 2014.

NTP is evaluating individual PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which is a group of widely produced industrial-use chemicals that are found in some waterways. NTP studies seek to understand the effects of certain PFAS on metabolism, biological activity in cell-based systems, and health effects related to cancer and the immune system.

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program funds grants to study the health effects of potentially hazardous substances and to investigate effective and sustainable ways to clean up those substances at hazardous waste sites, which may include waterways.

The program's grant recipients have developed online tools to inform local communities about potential environmental health risks.

At Texas A&M University, scientists created the HGBEnviroScreen. (HGB stands for the eight-county Gulf Coast region of Houston-Galveston-Brazoria.) Residents may use the tool to better understand how health, environmental, and socioeconomic factors can combine to increase their susceptibility to health problems.

Scientists at University of California, Berkeley launched the Drinking Water Tool, an interactive website that helps California residents identify areas where water quality may be of concern.

SRP-funded researchers developed therapeutic sorbents that can bind to hazardous chemicals in water, potentially reducing health problems following natural disasters, chemical spills, and other emergencies. Sorbents are insoluble materials that may be used to bind and remove contaminants from water or food. In the form of enterosorbents, they can be safely consumed by people as a way to remove certain harmful substances from the gut.

NIEHS supports the NIH Disaster Research Response (DR2) Program. This program includes ready-to-go data collection tools, research protocols, and a network of trained responders. These tools assist timely gathering of environmental and toxicological data that compliments health information collected during disaster responses. Many disasters can affect water safety.

Further Reading

Stories from the Environmental Factor (NIEHS newsletter)

Printable Fact Sheets

Podcasts

Additional Resources

Arsenic Literature Collection - This curated collection of scientific articles, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, reports on the prevalence of arsenic exposure, its toxicity, the complex mechanisms involved, and the implications for society and communities.

Medline Plus: Drinking Water - Consumer information from Medline Plus, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

CDC: Drinking Water - Public health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Environmental Wellness Toolkit - What surrounds you each day in your home, work, or neighborhood and the resources available to you can affect your health. You can't always choose what's in the environments you live, work, or play in. But taking small steps to make your environments safer and limiting your exposure to potentially harmful substances can help keep you healthier.

Ground Water and Drinking Water - Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Investigating Methods to Improve Drinking Water - NIEHS grant recipient David Sedlak, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, has devoted his career to improving drinking water quality. Read about his research efforts and findings.

NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative - This solutions-focused research initiative aims to reduce the health consequences associated with extreme weather events and evolving climate conditions. NIH has a strong history of creating innovative tools, technologies, and data-driven solutions to address global environmental problems.

PFAS Literature Collection - This curated collection of scientific articles and reviews, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, report on the prevalence and accumulating health effects associated with PFAS exposure.

Report on Carcinogens - This congressionally mandated, science-based, public health document is prepared by NTP for the HHS Secretary. The current report lists 248 agents, substances, mixtures, and exposure circumstances that are known or reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans.

Related Health Topics

Corroded water pipes that leach harmful chemicals, such as lead

Hazardous waste sites and industrial discharges

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural operations

Naturally occurring hazardous chemicals, such as arsenic

Sewage and food processing waste

Arsenic - a known human carcinogen associated with skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer

Lead - behavioral and developmental effects in children; and cardiovascular and kidney problems

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) chemicals - damage to the immune and reproductive systems

Pesticides - neurodevelopmental effects and Parkinson's disease

Researchers measured PFAS exposures in residents near Colorado Springs whose water was contaminated with the PFAS perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), as well as contamination of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina by the PFAS GenX.

Scientists were able to address the concerns of residents of Flint, Michigan about their exposure to lead, giving them rapid information on how great the risk was and ways they might limit the exposure.

NTP completed a series of studies on the toxicity of chemicals that spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia, January 2014.

At Texas A&M University, scientists created the HGBEnviroScreen. (HGB stands for the eight-county Gulf Coast region of Houston-Galveston-Brazoria.) Residents may use the tool to better understand how health, environmental, and socioeconomic factors can combine to increase their susceptibility to health problems.

Scientists at University of California, Berkeley launched the Drinking Water Tool, an interactive website that helps California residents identify areas where water quality may be of concern.

Arsenic Literature Collection - This curated collection of scientific articles, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, reports on the prevalence of arsenic exposure, its toxicity, the complex mechanisms involved, and the implications for society and communities.

Medline Plus: Drinking Water - Consumer information from Medline Plus, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

CDC: Drinking Water - Public health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Environmental Wellness Toolkit - What surrounds you each day in your home, work, or neighborhood and the resources available to you can affect your health. You can't always choose what's in the environments you live, work, or play in. But taking small steps to make your environments safer and limiting your exposure to potentially harmful substances can help keep you healthier.

Ground Water and Drinking Water - Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Investigating Methods to Improve Drinking Water - NIEHS grant recipient David Sedlak, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, has devoted his career to improving drinking water quality. Read about his research efforts and findings.

NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative - This solutions-focused research initiative aims to reduce the health consequences associated with extreme weather events and evolving climate conditions. NIH has a strong history of creating innovative tools, technologies, and data-driven solutions to address global environmental problems.

PFAS Literature Collection - This curated collection of scientific articles and reviews, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, report on the prevalence and accumulating health effects associated with PFAS exposure.

Report on Carcinogens - This congressionally mandated, science-based, public health document is prepared by NTP for the HHS Secretary. The current report lists 248 agents, substances, mixtures, and exposure circumstances that are known or reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans.

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Water is essential for life. People depend on safe water for their health and livelihood. But contaminated water leads to millions of deaths and even more illnesses every year. Water pollution is any contamination of water with chemicals or other hazardous substances that are detrimental to human, animal, or plant health.

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“Water Pollution.” National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/water-poll/index.cfm.

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The Mississippi River carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year, creating a “dead zone” in the Gulf each summer about the size of New Jersey.

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Create a group of people to help me clean up areas of pollution

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Air pollution is a mix of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations both outside and indoors. Its effects can range from higher disease risks to rising temperatures. Soot, smoke, mold, pollen, methane, and carbon dioxide are a just few examples of common pollutants.

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Pollution : Biggest World Problem! (Awesome Animation Video!)

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1. harmful or annoying levels of noise, as from airplanes, industry, etc.

1. "proposals to combat noise pollution"

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Soil contamination can lead to poor growth and reduced crop yields, loss of wildlife habitat, water and visual pollution, soil erosion, and desertification.

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Garbage often contains dangerous pollutants such as oils, chemicals, and ink. These pollutants can leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people.

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What Is Noise Pollution│Cinekids | Animated Fact of Environment and People for Kids | Pollution

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What can our community do to stop pollution?

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What can our community do to stop pollution?

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Do you think that we should give factories another option of where they can store there waste that is safer for the enviroment and why.

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Do you think that we should give factories another option of where they can store there waste that is safer for the enviroment and why.

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Though many living things emit carbon dioxide when they breathe, the gas is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. That's because carbon dioxide is the most common of the greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Humans have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the past 150 years to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.

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What would be better for this earth and why?

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What would be better for this earth and why?

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Ask them what they do in an everyday life that can reduces litter. Ask them what they do in a every day life that produces litter.