The world's six worst pollutants, including lead and mercury, threaten the health of tens of millions of people, primarily children, says a new report by two environmental groups.
"The health of roughly 100 million people is at risk from pollution in developing countries," says Richard Fuller, president of Blacksmith Institute, a non-profit international group that co-authored the report with Green Cross Switzerland. "For the first time, this report identifies and quantifies the impacts of the most damaging toxic pollutants."
The 2010 report, the fifth in a series of annual pollution reports by the two groups, is based on more than 1,000 risk assessments by field investigators in more than 40low- and medium-income countries during the past two years. It focuses on specific pollutants, rather than polluted sites or sources of contamination as did the prior reports, that are global in scope.
"Fortunately, these pollution problems can be dealt with affordably and effectively," Fuller says. "In many cases there already exist replicable solutions that have shown success." Please read full at USA Today