Central Question: How can we control and reduce environmental pollution?

Answer the following questions for each chapter section and then answer the Central Question.

13.1–13.3 Science

  • What are the main sources of pollutants?

  • What types of pollutants do humans produce?

  • How do pollutants move around the planet?

13.4–13.7 Issues

  • What are the impacts of air pollution on health and economies?

  • How does acid rain damage aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems?

  • How do persistent pollutants enter the human food chain?

  • In what ways do organic matter and nutrient pollution disrupt ecosystems?

13.8–13.12 Solutions

  • What impact have environmental regulation and international treaties had on reducing pollution in North America?

  • What factors have reduced emissions of pollutants and acid rain?

  • How can technology reduce indoor air pollution?

  • How can soils and sediments contaminated by hazardous wastes be cleaned?

  • What are some ways to reduce organic and nutrient pollution?

Answer the Central Question:

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Pollution and You

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While pollution issues may seem huge in scope and beyond an individual’s reach, there are, in fact, many things that each of us can do to help address pollution issues.

□Stay informed, act informed.

Keep up to date on local, regional, national, and global pollution issues. Many cities post air-quality indexes online or monitor local water health. Go to http://airnow.gov to find local air-quality scores. When air quality is bad, opt to carpool or take public transportation with others to reduce emissions. Decrease your use of chemicals like fertilizers and harsh household cleaners that can end up in the water supply. As an informed citizen, you can vote on pollution-related issues and urge your community to improve public transportation and water quality.

□Use healthy home practices.

Small, dust-sized particles in the home can include a variety of pollutants including lead, pollen, and dust mites. Clean all surfaces that collect dust, including floors, walls, and upholstered furniture, with a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Follow vacuum cleaning with mopping with plain water, which will clean dust missed by the vacuum. Dispose of pet waste properly; in high quantities, it can reduce the oxygen load of water and spread disease.

□Keep smoking out.

Because cigarette smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals, it represents one of the most significant threats to the indoor environment. As a result, one of the critical steps you can take to protect the air quality in your home is to make it a no-smoking area. Some of the well-documented dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke include increased risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and cancer. Exposure to secondhand smoke is especially dangerous to the health of children and infants.

□Test for radon.

The U.S. EPA estimates that radon, a radioactive gas produced during the natural decay of uranium, causes more than 20,000 deaths from lung cancer in the United States each year. While it occurs in nearly all geologic formations, radon is more abundant in some settings than others. Radon generally enters the home from the ground and can build up to unhealthy concentration in homes of any age. Testing for radon, which is easy using inexpensive, widely available kits, can give you the information you need to determine whether corrective action is needed.