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.
Despite federal limits on emissions of mercury from other sources, such as waste incinerators, there have been no limits on coal-fired power plants, which the EPA says constitute the single largest source of mercury emissions.
"As a mom, I'm especially excited to know that millions of mothers and babies will now be protected from mercury poisoning," said Mary Anne Hitt, director of Beyond Coal Campaign, a clean energy advocacy group.
"We all teach our kids the simple rule that if you make a mess you should clean it up - and now polluters will have to follow that same rule," she wrote in an e-mail conversation.
"Mothers around the country who have been worried about mercury pollution causing learning disabilities and other problems for their kids will be able to sleep easier tonight."
Health experts have known for a long time that mercury causes damage to developing fetuses, with long-term effects on the child.
Methylmercury, found in fish and shellfish, can harm a child's thinking, language, fine motor skills, memory, attention, and visual spatial skills when exposed in the womb.
One study estimates that for each part per million of mercury found in a mother's hair -- a common way of testing for mercury exposure -- her child loses approximately 0.18 IQ points.
Outbreaks of methylmercury poisoning have resulted in some children being born with severe disabilities, even when their mothers did not show signs of nervous system damage. But adults are at risk for mercury poisoning too; symptoms can include impairment of vision, speech, hearing and walking.
Many communities are trying to do their part to reduce the level of black carbon pollution in the air. It is difficult for a small city or town to restrict driving or to impose pollution regulations on trucks and automobiles. However, another source of soot is from the burning ofwood in fireplaces and charcoal briquets in barbeques.
Some communities have imposed a ban or sharp restriction on the recreational use of wood-burning fireplaces and barbeques. It is unclear whether these new regulations will be enforceable, nor how effective the new ordinances will be in reducing emissions. However, one could easily argue that these recreational activities are non-essential, and that anything which will help reduce soot production is worth trying.
Official Says Air Quality In Beijing Is at 'Crisis' Level Wall Street Journal Beijing is facing its third air-pollution crisis of recent years and needs to crank up its efforts to cut emissions, a city environmental official said, acknowledging a big metaphorical cloud hanging over the city. Beijing faced air-quality crises in ...
Death-by-Air in Beijing Exposes Pollution's Untold Heart Risk BusinessWeek Outdoor air pollution kills 1.3 million people globally each year, the World Health Organization estimates. A growing body of evidence shows dirty air not only triggers asthma and other respiratory conditions, over time it may the damage heart and ... Air Quality goes from Red to Yellow after Burn Ban KTVN Well first, the quality of our air affects all of us. According to the Washoe County Health District, the pollution from smoke can actually cause health problems in healthy people. Kevin Dick, director ofAir Quality Management for the Washoe County ... Higher Levels of Air Pollution Expected Wednesday Patch.com Berkeley can expect a jump in the level of air pollution Wednesday and a fifth Spare the Air Day for the Bay Area. Burning wood indoors or outdoors will be illegal all day. By Emily Henry A Spare the Air alert has been issued for Wednesday, Dec. ... State warns of air pollution in Keene area due to weather Nashua Telegraph CONCORD – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is expecting air pollutionconcentrations to reach unhealthy levels in valleys in southwestern New Hampshire, especially in Keene, on Thursday. DES officials are calling for an Air ... Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District investigates its top ... Monterey County Weekly By Sara Rubin It's a good thing for air quality on the Monterey Peninsula that there's not enough sun or water to easily grow grass; running a lawnmower for an hour emits as much air pollution as a new car driving 300 miles. ... |
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In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican presidential candidate, signed a budget that cut funding for the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality more than 30 percent, from $833 million to $565 million. That included reducing air quality inspections and assessments.
Oregon, for example, reduced air pollution monitoring, as the Department of Environmental Quality faces budget cuts through 2013.
The state Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania has seen general fund support slip from $217 million in 2009 to $140 million, levels last seen in 1994.
