General 2

General 2 is about Environment and Chemicals

The harmful effects that chemicals have upon individual organisms depend on many different factors.

Contaminants of concern that accumulate in organisms have four major properties:

1. Persistent (They don’t break down in the biosphere.)
2. Mobile (They evaporate and condense in the environment to move around the world, which how they end up in Antarctica.)
3. Soluble in fat (They are stored in the fat of animals.)
4. Toxic (They are biologically active.)

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment

Mercury is one of the most harmful pollutants that fish and wildlife face today.

MTBE, is a chemical Janus. It benefits air quality by making gasoline burn cleaner, thus reducing automobile emissions. But it can also find its way into groundwater supplies and give drinking water an unpleasant taste and odor.

'Pesticide' is a broad term, covering a range of products that are used to control pests. The slug pellets, ant powder, weed killers, and rat and mouse baits that you may use in your everyday life are all pesticides.

Organisations to protect the environment