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Mercury Pollution Article
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Causes Of Air Pollution No Big Mystery
from:You open your door in the morning, step outside, look up, close your eyes, and take a deep breath of fresh air. Or do you? Air pollution plagues our everyday life. We may think our air is fine because we cannot see a difference. Okay, maybe we know that while in the city there is not the freshest air available, but certainly in our own homes we are fine. Well, that does not seem to be the case either, as the causes of air pollution are more than what you might expect.
Pollution Possibilities And Causes of Air Pollution
There are many factors that contribute to the causes of air pollution and some may argue that only large corporations are to blame, but the fact is that we are all responsible for the problem and we should all be responsible for the solution. A few air pollutant culprits include:
• Smoke Stacks – power plants, waste incinerators, and manufacturing
• Mobility – All motor vehicles, aircraft, marine vessels. Commercial use and domestic use are equally responsible
• Fumes – Simple products like paint, hairspray, aerosol sprays, and other solvents contribute too
• Burning – Fireplaces, stoves, furnaces, and other burning devices
• Chemicals – Particles, like carbon monoxide released due to controlled burns or accidental fires
• Waste – Landfills or illegal dumping release methane gases
• Military – Nuclear weapons, germ warfare, rocketry, and other toxic gases are emitted into the air through war or general maneuvers
• Digestion – Levels of methane gas are released through the digestion of certain animals, like cattle
• Mother Earth – Volcanoes produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash. Radon is created by the radioactive decay within the crust of Earth
• Dust – General dust or large amounts are circulated in large land areas that have little or no vegetation
Escape To The Indoors
Outside does not seem safe with all those particles flying around, but if you go inside and close all the doors and windows then you are in your own controlled environment that is free of air pollution, right? This is a misnomer because there are types of air pollutants that are specific to indoor surroundings. Several examples may include:
• Kitchen – A kitchen appliance that we rely on almost everyday could be responsible for many health issues. The kitchen stove can release deadly toxins that are inhaled without knowledge. Older stoves that require fuels to burn, are not energy efficient and create several gases.
• Carpet – The fibers of carpet have been treated with chemicals that prevent staining, discoloration, and fraying; but those same chemicals are not safe to breath in.
• Heating & Cooling – An inefficient system causes fuel waste and may inject dangerous dust particles into the house.
• Cleaning – Toxic products that contain dangerous chemicals may seem like they get the house clean but at what cost? Inhaling those fumes is not good for the body. A vacuum cleaner without a proper filtration system is also to blame for unhealthy dust particles.
Air pollution presents itself in many forms; the causes of air pollution are diverse. Each of these has levels of toxicity that may be worse then others, however they are all dangerous. It is safe to consider that each pollutant cause will carry a variety of pollutant effects. It is time to think creatively and stop this pollution plague that is robbing us of fresh air.
Mercury Pollution Specific links
Mercury Pollution News
New study details mercury contamination in California sport fish
The findings reflect the global spread of mercury pollution and offer new information for anglers and consumers on which wild-caught species tend to accumulate the substance, the study's chief scientist said.
Read more...California sport fish survey: mercury, PCBs higher
A sweeping state survey of contaminants in sport fish that were hooked, netted or speared in 68 spots on the California coast underscores a lesson for seafood lovers: Choose well your next fillet. In general, mercury...
Read more...Mercury pollution
Much too frequently, we’re in the bad news business. So it was good to read in The Tribune the other day how mercury poisoning in the Great Salt Lake and other Utah waters can be reduced.
Read more...Oceans: Study tests dolphins for mercury exposure
Results suggest that Florida coastal waters have high levels of the toxic metal By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — A new study by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and The National Aquarium shows that wild dolphins have higher levels of mercury than their captive cousins, suggesting that mercury pollution in the oceans is a [...]
Read more...New Research Sheds Light On Mercury Pollution
Mercury pollution is a growing problem in the Arctic. And new research is offering some insight into how mercury reacts with the sea ice that covers much of the Arctic Ocean. Sandy Steffen is a Physical Scientist with Environment Canada. She studied mercury pollution on the sea ice outside of Barrow and is presenting her work this week at the International Polar Year conference in Montreal.
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