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Water Pollution


Description

Water PollutionWater pollution is any contamination of water with chemicals or other foreign substances that are detrimental to human, plant, or animal health. These pollutants include fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural runoff; sewage and food processing waste; lead, mercury, and other heavy metals; chemical wastes from industrial discharges; and chemical contamination from hazardous waste sites. Worldwide, nearly 2 billion people drink contaminated water that could be harmful to their health.

What NIEHS is Doing on Water Pollution

General Information


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USA.gov Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health
This page URL: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/exposure/water-poll/index.cfm
NIEHS website: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Email the Web Manager at webmanager@niehs.nih.gov
Last Reviewed: October 21, 2008