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Toxins You need to Know

AP Environmental Science

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by Kristi Schertz

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Lead

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Old pipes, old paint and old gasoline. Batteries
    • Electronic waste
  • Health Impacts
    • Neurotoxin🡪brain damage and kidney problems
  • Important Info
    • Flint, MI had in drinking water 2014-2017
    • Babies and toddlers can ingest paint chips in old houses and from toys
    • Bioaccumulates

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Mercury

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Coal burned🡪mercury airborn🡪rain🡪rivers🡪ocean🡪bioaccumulation & biomagnification🡪tuna and swordfish🡪humans
    • Also in Electronic Waste
  • Health Impacts
    • Same as lead
  • Important Info
    • Minamata Bay, Japan🡪 thousands died from Mercury dumped in Bay
    • Bioaccumulates
    • In water, bacteria transform to methylmercury-also toxic

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Asbestos

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Insulation in older buildings, flame retardent
  • Health Impacts
    • Lung Cancer (Mesothelioma) and scarring of the lungs (Asbestiosis)

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DDT

  • Where Found In Environment
    • In blood of top predatory birds from persistent DDT/DDE
    • Still used illegally and on imported food.
  • Health Impacts
    • Birds’ eggs crack
  • Important Info
    • Banned in the U.S.
    • One of the dirty dozen
    • Bioaccumulates

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PCB

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Industrial chemical. Now banned, but persists a long time (POP) Arctic circle
  • Health Impacts
    • Neurotoxin. Same as lead
  • Important Info
    • Same as DDT
    • Bioaccumulates

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Radon

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium in some rocks and soil.
    • Seeps into basements of homes and through cracks in foundation.
  • Health Impacts
    • Causes lung cancer
  • Important Info
    • Can also dissolve into

groundwater

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Atrazine (example of endocrine disruptor)

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Herbicide
  • Health Impacts
    • Endocrine disruptor
    • Causes amphibians to become hermophrodites or sexually impaired.
    • Causes gender imbalances
  • Important Info
    • Very common. Manufacturer says no problem

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Bisphenol-A (BPA)-example of endocrine disruptor

  • Where Found In Environment
    • Plastics, lining of food cans, receipt tape.
  • Health Impacts
    • Probable endocrine disruptor
  • Important Info
    • CA law now bans it in baby products

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