sulfates and sulfuric acid, each of which has been linked to bronchus and lung cancer. A second environmental factor is the suspension of particulates in the air, a major air pollution source that also has been implicated in the incidence of bronchus and lung cancer. Suspended particulates result from some waste disposal facility operations. A third implicated environmental factor is oxidant air pollution. Oxidant, in this instance, refers to oxides of nitrogen that are emitted into the air through automobile tailpipes, industrial smokestacks, and the burning conducted at waste disposal facilities. Nitrogen oxides are a major air pollutant linked to bronchus and lung cancer.
Acid raid is also a problem that can be aggravated by the operation of a waste disposal facility. Acid rain might be associated in the public mind with some sort of water pollution. In fact, however, acid rain is a manifestation of air pollution.
An acid is a chemical compound containing hydrogen that can be replaced by a metal or other positive ion to form a salt. Acids dissociate in water to yield hydrogen ions. Acid solutions are corrosive and have a sharp taste. Acid rain is moisture falling from clouds that has a high acid content.
Pollution is introduced into the air by both natural and artificial contaminant particulates. Typical natural contaminants include salt particles from the oceans, and dust and gases from volcanoes. Typical artificial contaminants are wastes and gases that emanate from industrial, power generation, municipal, household, aircraft, rocket, and automotive combustion processes, including the operation of waste disposal facilities.
Many contaminant particulates introduced into the air rise to an altitude sufficient to permit their mixing with moisture in clouds. When such mixing occurs, the precipitation that falls from these clouds is polluted. When the contaminants create acid compounds, the precipitation is ac...