Environmental Pollution

It refers to the contamination of the natural environment, such as the ocean, soil, and atmosphere, by harmful substances (environmental pollutants). Generally, it is caused by human activities, but it can also be caused by natural disasters such as volcanic activity. In Japan, examples of marine pollution include Minamata disease (around Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture and the Agano River basin in Niigata Prefecture) caused by organic mercury (methyl mercury), soil pollution includes Itai-itai disease (in the lower reaches of the Jinzu River in Toyama Prefecture) caused by cadmium contamination, and air pollution includes Yokkaichi asthma (Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture) caused by sulfur oxide factory smoke. Environmental pollution also causes acid rain caused by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, global warming caused by carbon dioxide, and the appearance of the ozone hole caused by fluorocarbon emissions. Meanwhile, marine pollution caused by organotin compounds and environmental hormones (exogenous endocrine disrupting chemicals) such as dioxins and PCBs are progressing, and their impact on ecosystems has been reported from all over the world, becoming a problem.

Source: Morikita Publishing "Chemical Dictionary (2nd Edition)" Information about the Chemical Dictionary 2nd Edition

海洋，土壌，大気などの自然環境が，有害物質(環境汚染物質)によって汚染されることをいう．一般には，人間活動によるものをさすが，火山活動のような天災によるものもある．日本における海洋汚染としては，有機水銀(メチル水銀)による水俣病(熊本県水俣湾周辺，新潟県阿賀野川流域)が，土壌汚染としては，カドミウム汚染によるイタイイタイ病(富山県神通川下流域)が，大気汚染としては，硫黄酸化物の工場排煙による四日市ぜんそく(三重県四日市市)などが知られている．窒素酸化物や硫黄酸化物による酸性雨や，二酸化炭素による地球温暖化，さらに排出フロンによるオゾンホールの出現も環境汚染が原因である．一方，有機スズ化合物による海洋汚染や，ダイオキシンやPCBなどの環境ホルモン(外因性内分泌かく乱化学物質)による環境汚染が進行し，生態系に与える影響が世界各地から報告され問題となっている．

出典　森北出版「化学辞典（第2版）」化学辞典 第2版について　情報