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Harmful Pollutants

Toxic substances such as mercury, dioxins, cadmium and DDT are the subjects of many reports by scientists, environmentalists and doctors who warn the public of the dangers of these compounds. Many of these toxins interact with one another to make them even more dangerous.

  1. Harmful Pollutants in Food

    • Harmful pollutants enter the foods chain when animals eat fodder grown on contaminated land and absorb the residues, which they accumulate and concentrate in their body fat. Illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia may result in eating these animals. Eating only certified organically grown fruits or vegetables, which are free of harmful pollutants, will help avoid consuming any of these toxic compounds. Also, avoid eating fish caught in inshore waters, which often have higher levels of pollution than those caught at sea. Stay healthy by maintaining a body weight appropriate for your height, since the toxic compounds also accumulate in human fatty tissues.

    Harmful Pollutants in Water

    • Harmful pollutants which are found in water include a long list of compounds. Oil, hydrocarbons, PCB's from sources like hydraulic fluids and refrigerators, pesticides such as DDT, detergents and fertilizers like nitrates and phosphates; metals such as lead, zinc, manganese, calcium and potassium and radioactive materials all contaminate water sources. Water contamination is harder to monitor, because it moves. Harmful pollutants, especially those discharged into the seas, include radioactive wastes illegally and oil leaks from wrecked tankers. Water contamination is more easily visible in smaller lakes, since oceans tend to dilute them. Tests carried out by laboratories show which harmful pollutants are present in your water. To avoid them, use water filters or drink bottled water.

    Harmful Pollutants in the Air

    • Harmful pollutants are also present in the air you breathe. According to the World Health Organization, lung diseases, including cancer, asthma and other respiratory problems accounted for 800,000 deaths in the year 2000. In industrial areas, residents breathe in toxins from automobile and other manufacturing industries. These pollutants are all between 5 and 10 times more dangerous when aged in the presence of sunlight, according to a report in the November 2008 issue of the Environmental Health Perspectives journal. Use disposable breathing masks, which filter out harmful pollutants in smoggy city areas, to protect your lungs from these toxic compounds.

    Harmful Pollutants in the Soil

    • According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the list of a "Dirty Dozen" of harmful pollutants includes compounds like DDT, heptachlor, aldrin and toxaphene, which are all insecticides used on primarily agricultural land to protect crops from pests. These toxins enter the soil, are absorbed by crops not originally the target of the spraying and enter underground streams and aquifers when rains wash them away. These pollutants damage DNA, causing birth defects, induce cancer and include dangerous neurotoxins which disturb the normal functions of the nervous system causing symptoms like depression, muscular tremors and in severe cases, convulsions. Soil testing by a local laboratory will reveal if your land is a safe place to grow your own fruits and vegetables.

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