Lead contamination, or lead poisoning, was more prevalent many
years ago, when lead was a primary additive in gasoline. Breathing lead
fumes could lead to lead poisoning, leaving victims with permanently
diminished mental capacity. Lead was phased out as a gasoline additive
and is no longer used in gasoline today.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are all around us. Electricity flowing
through power lines produces them. There is considerable debate about
the health effects of EMFs. People who live in close proximity to high-
voltage power transmission lines are of particular concern for health risks.
Reputable studies have not proven that exposure to EMFs causes any
significant health risks at this time. There is concern, however, that chronic
exposure to EMFs may increase the risk of incidence for some specific
types of cancer. The effects of chronic exposure to electricity on cell struc-
ture and development have not been thoroughly researched.
Light pollution is a term used to describe the excessive amount of
light in the nighttime sky that often surrounds urban areas. The primary
consequence of light pollution is that artificially created light can trick
plants, birds, and animals. Migrating birds can be drawn toward the light,
as they confuse it for daylight on the horizon. Plants can bloom prema-
turely if exposed to too much artificial light. Nocturnal animals living
near an urban area can also become confused between day and night.
Noise pollution is a problem commonly associated with some forms of
power generation and many forms of transportation. Regarding the instal-
lation of a wind farm to generate electricity, noise can be a primary
concern. Geothermal power plants are also known to be very noisy.
Concern about noise pollution has resulted in the modifications of
airplane approach ways to airports and even aircraft engine design.
Land pollution is a form of pollution that occurs when land is
harvested (typically surface mined) to the extent that it renders the
remaining land unusable. It is a particular problem in the fossil fuel
energy industry, especially regarding the mining of coal. Surface mining,
often referred to as strip mining, refers to the process of extracting natural
resources, such as coal, from the earth by digging the coal out from the
surface, as opposed to extracting it from underground mines. Years ago,
strip or surface mining plots were simply left ungraded and unusable for
alternate purposes at the conclusion of a mining operation. Legislation
now mandates that strip mining tracts undergo reclamation at the conclu-
sion of mining operations. This technique requires the land that has been
disturbed to be graded and covered with topsoil so as to be suitable for
alternate use at the conclusion of mining operations.
Thermal pollution is a form of pollution most commonly associated
with power plants. Historically, it has been easier and cheaper to simply
expel waste heat, a by-product of the combustion process, into the atmo-
sphere. Many power plants were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. At
that time, little attention was paid to the effects on aquatic life. Today, as a
result of more stringent regulations, power plant cooling systems must be
designed to take the local environmental characteristics of lakes, rivers,
and streams into account. For instance, let us say an environmental impact
study determines that the discharge water from a proposed power plant
Lead poisoning:
Chronic intoxica-
tion produced by
the absorption of
lead into the
system.
Electromagnetic
field (EMF): A field
of electromagnetic
energy produced
by electricity
flowing through
power lines.
Light pollution:
The excessive
amount of light in
the nighttime sky
that often
surrounds urban
areas.
Noise pollution:
Annoying or
harmful noise in an
environment.
Land pollution:
The action of
contaminating the
surface of the earth
and its natural
resources.
Surface mining:
The process of
working the
external layer of
the earth and
extracting mineral
substances.
Reclamation: A
technique that
requires land that
has been disturbed
to be graded and
covered with
topsoil, so as to be
suitable for alter-
nate use at the
conclusion of
mining operations.
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