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A number of pollutants are found in the air, water, and soil. Increasingly, pollutants have become a public health and environmental hazard, which can lead to global warming, acid rain, and ozone layer deletion. All of these things impact the global health of all humans.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is created from the burning of fossil fuels, mostly from automobiles. Heaters and furnaces in the home can also emit high concentrations of carbon monoxide if not properly sustained. Exposure causes most people to experience dizziness, fatigue, and headaches.
Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is a corrosive gas that can't be seen or smelled. Factories that make fuel, paper, and chemicals emit sulfur dioxide. Some effects on humans may include: irritation in the ears, eyes, nose, and throat and difficulty breathing. This gas also contributes to acid rain.
Lead
Lead can come from cars releasing unleaded gasoline and lead-based paint. Old pipes containing lead can taint the water supply too. High amounts of lead can lower children's IQ scores, cause kidney problems, and increase an adult's chances of suffering from a heart attack or stroke.
Mercury
Mercury in the body usually gets there from the ingestion of polluted fish. This heavy metal is stored in the fish's muscle tissue, making it unable to be cooked or filtered out. Depending on your level of mercury exposure, it can cause tremors, gingivitis, anemia, allergies, asthma, memory loss, skin tumors, and damage the nervous and immune system.
Other Pollants
Arsenic, asbestos, benzene, and dioxin can all cause cancer in humans. These pollutants are emitted by factories and when fossil fuels are burned.
Source:
Idaho's Department of Environmental Quality: Health and Air Pollution
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