Essay Archive - Air Pollution
Air Pollution
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. govern....
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