introduction to enviroment08.pptVIP

* Its very important, when we talk about pollution, contamination, toxics, toxicology, and carcinogens, that we understand what is specifically meant by these terms. The term pollution refers to an unwanted substance in the environment that has the potential of producing harmful conditions, including unwanted heat, cold, or sound. If the substance is not chemical, we often add the word describing the type of pollution in front of it--for instance, noise pollution. A polluted environment is impure, dirty, or otherwise unclean. Contamination has a meaning similar to that of pollution, and implies making something unfit for a particular use through the introduction of undesirable materials. For instance, high calcium in water can make it unsuitable for use in a boiler; in that case, the calcium would be a contaminant, though hardly a pollutant. A toxin is a substance that is poisonous (toxic) to people and other living things. Toxicology is the science that studies chemicals that are or could be toxic. A carcinogen is a toxin that increases the risk of cancer, while teratogens have the potential to cause birth defects. Carcinogens are among the most feared toxins in our society and therefore the ones subject to the greatest regulation. * The term synergism is an important concept. Synergism is the interaction of different types of substances, resulting in a combined effect thats greater than the additional effect of each substance individually. Synergisms effects often make it very difficult to assess the impact of toxic substances and the environment on organisms such as people. * Pollutants get into the environment in a variety of ways, but their routes are primarily classified as point sources, where the pollution is discharged from a single spot such as a pipe or smokestack, and nonpoint sources, or area sources, where the pollution is produced from a broad area, such as from a farm or a mine. For instance, the two pictures on the left illustrate nonpoint source