toxic waste toxic waste toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and contaminate soil and water. disposing of such waste is a major public health issue. part of a series onpollutionvalley of the drums, a toxic waste site in kentucky, united states, 1980 air acid rain air quality index atmospheric dispersion modeling chlorofluorocarbon exhaust gas haze indoor air internal combustion engine global dimming global distillation ozone depletion particulates persistent organic pollutant smog aerosol soot volatile organic compound biological biological hazard genetic introduced species (invasive species) digital information electromagnetic light ecological overillumination radio spectrum natural ozone radium and radon in the environment volcanic ash wildfire noise 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farming, construction, automotive, laboratories, and hospitals which may contain heavy metals, radiation, dangerous pathogens, or other toxins. toxic waste has become more abundant since the industrial revolution, causing serious global issues. disposing of such waste has become even more critical with the addition of numerous technological advances containing toxic chemical components. products such as cellular telephones, computers, televisions, and solar panels contain toxic chemicals that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly to prevent the pollution of the air and contamination of soils and water. a material is considered toxic when it causes death or harm by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. the waste can contain chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, dangerous pathogens, or other toxins. even households generate hazardous waste from items such as batteries, used computer equipment, and leftover paints or pesticides. toxic material can be either human-made and others are naturally occurring in the environment. not all hazardous substances are considered toxic. the united nations environment programme (unep) has identified 11 key substances that pose a risk to human health: arsenic: used in making electrical circuits, as an ingredient in pesticides, and as a wood preservative. it is classified as a carcinogen. asbestos: is a material that was once used for the insulation of buildings, and some businesses are still using this material to manufacture roofing materials and brakes. inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer and asbestosis. cadmium: is found in batteries and plastics. it can be inhaled through cigarette smoke or digested when included as a pigment in food. exposure leads to lung damage, irritation of the digestive tract, and kidney disease. chromium: is used as brick lining for high-temperature industrial furnaces, as a solid metal used for making steel, and in chrome plating, manufacturing dyes and pigments, wood preserving, and leather tanning. it is known to cause cancer, and prolonged exposure can cause chronic bronchitis and damage lung tissue. clinical wastes: such as syringes and medication bottles can spread pathogens and harmful microorganisms, leading to a variety of illnesses. cyanide: a poison found in some pesticides and rodenticides. in large doses, it can lead to paralysis, convulsions, and respiratory distress. lead: is found in batteries, paints, and ammunition. when ingested or inhaled can cause harm to the nervous and reproductive systems, and kidneys. mercury: used for dental fillings and batteries. it is also used in the production of chlorine gas. exposure can lead to birth defects and kidney and brain damage pcbs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are used in many manufacturing processes, by the utility industry, and in paints and sealants. damage can occur through exposure, affecting the nervous, reproductive, and immune systems, as well as the liver. pops, persistent organic pollutants. they are found in chemicals and pesticides and may lead to nervous and reproductive system defects. they can bio-accumulate in the food chain or persist in the environment and be moved great distances through the atmosphere. strong acids and alkalis used in manufacturing and industrial production. they can destroy tissue and cause internal damage to the body. the most overlooked toxic and hazardous wastes are the household products in everyday homes that are improperly disposed of such as old batteries, pesticides, paint, and car oil. toxic waste can be reactive, ignitable, and corrosive. in the united states, these wastes are regulated under the resource conservation and recovery act (rcra). reactive wastes are those that can cause explosions when heated, mixed with water or compressed. they can release toxic gases into the air. they are unstable even in normal conditions. an example is lithium–sulfur batteries. ignitable wastes have flash points of less than 60 degrees celsius. they are very combustible and can cause fires. examples are solvents and waste oils. corrosive wastes are liquids capable of corroding metal containers. these are acids or bases that have ph levels of less than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 12.5. an example is battery acid. with the increase of worldwide technology, there are more substances that are considered toxic and harmful to human health. technology growth at this rate is extremely daunting for civilization and can eventually lead to more harm/negative outcomes. some of this technology includes cell phones and computers. such items have been given the name e-waste or eee, which stands for electrical and electronic equipment. this term is also used for goods such as refrigerators, toys, and washing machines. these items can contain toxic components that can break down into water systems when discarded. the reduction in the cost of these goods has allowed for these items to be distributed globally without thought or consideration to managing the goods once they become ineffective or broken. in the us, the environmental protection agency (epa) and state environmental agencies develop and enforce regulations on the storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste. the epa requires that toxic waste be handled with special precautions, and be disposed of in designated facilities around the country. also, many us cities have collection days where household toxic waste is gathered. some materials that may not be accepted at regular landfills are ammunition, commercially generated waste, explosives/shock sensitive items, hypodermic needles/syringes, medical waste, radioactive materials, and smoke detectors. health effects toxic wastes often contain carcinogens, and exposure to these by some route, such as leakage or evaporation from the storage, causes cancer to appear at increased frequency in exposed individuals. for example, a cluster of the rare blood cancer polycythemia vera was found around a toxic waste dump site in northeast pennsylvania in 2008. the human & ecological risk assessment journal conducted a study that focused on the health of individuals living near municipal landfills to see if it would be as harmful as living near hazardous landfills. they conducted a 7-year study that specifically tested for 18 types of cancers to see if the participants had higher rates than those that don't live around landfills. they conducted this study in western massachusetts within a 1-mile radius of the north hampton regional landfill. people encounter these toxins buried in the ground, in stream runoff, in groundwater that supplies drinking water, or in floodwaters, as happened after hurricane katrina. some toxins, such as mercury, persist in the environment and accumulate. as a result of the bioaccumulation of mercury in both freshwater and marine ecosystems, predatory fish are a significant source of mercury in human and animal diets. toxic waste." national geographic. national geographic, 2010. web. 26 apr 2010. prevalence of toxic waste sites in the united states' in the united states today millions of americans live near a toxic waste site that is in a radius of three miles of where they currently reside. for example, in february 2022 it was found that “75 percent of black americans more likely to live near waste-producing facilities.” residents that live in or near communities that are 1.8 miles around a superfund or hazardous site have a “high risk for life-long and long-term mental health and physical health challenges, including cancer, birth defects, and developmental disabilities.” there are an estimated 21 million people that reside within a mile of these sites allowing the harsh chemicals and toxins, such as lead and mercury, that have escaped to enter nearby water supplies, to affect the air quality, and ground conditions resulting in destructive environmental surroundings. in the past, recent years' climate change increasing severe rainstorms, flooding, and winds from hurricanes have a greater possibility to disrupt the content of these toxic waste sites allowing unstable organic compounds to go back into the environment. toxic lead waste and disease in three latin american countries it can be seen that in argentina, mexico, and uruguay there has been an increase in industrial development, urbanization, and socioeconomic forces. as these industries grow there is an underlying consequence of pollution that comes from environmental exposure to hazardous waste. when people are exposed to this pollution, they suffer negative health effects. with diseases on the rise, the disability-adjusted life year (daly) starts to decline, so the time the average person lives decreases, especially in low to middle-income countries. these low to middle-income countries (lmic) have minimal resources to deal with toxic waste, such as “inadequate regulation, the informality of many industries, poor surveillance, and improper disposal of contaminants.” for example, “lead is still used for glazing artisanal ceramics despite the availability of less hazardous alternatives.” lead enters the soil and water sources if not kept under control. children are more susceptible than adults to absorbing more lead if exposed early on, causing them to have “behavioral problems in adolescence, iq decrements, cognitive impairment, and decreased visuospatial skills.” if adults are exposed occupationally, they can have higher rates of hypertension than the average person. men can result in low sperm count and females can result in miscarriages. in order to further quantify the burden of diseases caused by toxic wastes tsip, toxic sites identification program, “ identifies active and abandoned hazardous waste sites resulting from both formal and informal industrial activities in lmics”. as an investigation begins a key pollutant is sought out and identified. for example, “heavy metals are the most commonly occurring key pollutant, with ingestion of contaminated soils being the most commonly occurring route of exposure listed in the tsip database”. argentina, mexico, and uruguay were chosen since they had more available data after meeting certain criteria. as of now, there are five criteria that have to be met in order for a hazardous waste site to be included in the analysis; " a biological or environmental sample had to be present; a population at risk had to be specified; the location of the site was represented by gps coordinates, and a description of the activities leading to contamination were outlined.” to measure the amount of lead in the soil a handheld x-ray fluorescence (xrf) spectrometer was used. when this method seemed unavailable and an area was suspected of having to lead contamination, the blood of individuals