Environmental Science For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 18

What’s Your Poison? Toxins and Infectious Disease

IN THIS CHAPTER

Knowing which toxins are most common in the environment

Understanding how toxins accumulate inside you and move up the food chain

Evaluating the risks toxins pose to human and environmental health

Taking a closer look at modern infectious disease

Common sense tells you to steer clear of poisons because you know they can make you sick or lead to death. But did you know that poisons, or toxins, are all around you — in the environment, in your home, and in the products you use every day?

In this chapter, I describe the most common toxins that cause human health problems and environmental damage. I also explain where these toxins come from and how they get into the environment and your body. Then I define the different ways scientists and lawmakers decide which toxins are too risky to expose humans to and which ones are safe enough.

Because not all health problems are the result of toxins in the environment, I also spend time explaining a little about infectious diseases and describing how they develop resistance ...