\INTRO

-Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse
changePollution

-A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or
adversely affects the usefulness of a resource.

-Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental
degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.

-Because of their persistence, POPs bioaccumulate with potential adverse impacts on human health and
the environment.

7. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- are organic compounds that contain fluorine and hydrogen atoms, and are the most common type of
organofluorine compounds.
-They do not harm the ozone layer as much as the compounds they replace, but they do contribute to
global warming,.

8. Lead
- is persistent in the environment and can be added to soils and sediments through deposition from
sources of lead air pollution.
- Other sources of lead to ecosystems include direct discharge of waste streams to water bodies and
mining.
-Elevated lead in the environment can result in decreased growth and reproductive rates in plants and
animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates.
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