Environmental toxicology is the scientific study of the health effects associated with exposure to toxic chemicals occurring in the natural, work, and living environments. The term also describes the management of environmental toxins and toxicity, and the development of protections for humans and the environment.
Bioremediation is a waste management technique that involves the use of organisms such as plants, bacteria, and fungi to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site. According to the United States EPA, bioremediation is a “treatment that uses naturally occurring organisms to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or non toxic substances.”
Some cases of elemental pollution are natural in origin. This usually involves metal-rich minerals being exposed at the surface and causing local ecological changes. However, human activities have caused additional examples of pollution by toxic elements, particularly in the vicinity of industrial sources such as smelters. In addition, emissions of mercury and lead from power plants and automobiles have caused widespread contamination of remote environments, although it is not yet certain that this is causing ecological damage.
Chapter 23 Environmental Ethics
Chapter 24: Environmental Laws and Regulations
Source: AP Environmental Science by University of California, University of California College Prep
License: CC BY 2.0
Environmental Toxicology
Bioremediation
Source: Environmental Biology by Joni Baumgarten
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Toxic Elements
Source: Environmental Science by Dalhousie University
License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License,