Hidden Costs and who pays them 453
Producing electronics — and toxic waste
People are affected by every step in the cycle of production and waste.
And at every step, people can work to prevent and reduce harm.
Some common sources of industrial pollution
Oil refineries and electric power plants pollute air, water and soil with toxic
chemicals and heavy metals. For more about refineries, see page 513.
Smelters release heavy metals like mercury and lead (see pages 338 and 357),
and toxins like dioxin (see page 341).
Factories of all kinds may cause pollution, but can improve their safety by using
clean production methods (see page 458).
Industrial waste dumps leak chemicals into soil and groundwater, causing
serious problems for many years.
Incinerators release toxic chemicals into the air, water and soil (see page 423).
Small-scale industries such as tanneries, electroplating, garment, and battery
manufacturers can cause pollution and serious health problems for both
workers and people nearby (see pages 459 to 464).
Military bases and war zones cause devastating pollution, from radiation to
dioxin, and leave harmful waste that may last for many generations.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012