Air Pollution
CFish Mr. Nollen
Biology 2B
8 May, 1996
The Problem
Contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes or
by-products that can endanger human health and the health and welfare of plants
and animals, or can attack materials, reduce visibility, or produce undesirable
odors. Among air pollutants emitted by natural sources, only the radioactive
gas radon is recognized as a major health threat. A byproduct of the
radioactive decay of uranium minerals in certain kinds of rock, radon seeps into
the basements of homes built on these rocks. According to recent estimates by
the U.S. government, 20 percent of the homes in the U.S. harbor radon
concentrations that are high enough to pose a risk of lung cancer.
Each year industrially developed countries generate billions of tons of
pollutants. The level is usually given in terms of atmospheric concentrations
or, for gases in terms of parts per million, that is, number of pollutant
molecules per million......
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