Assessment of Environmental Pollutants for Their Toxicological Effects of Human and Animal Health

An environmental pollutant is any material that is present in the environment and is hazardous to humans or the lives of any living species but is necessary for human existence and well-being. This chapter focuses on environmental chemical and agricultural pollutants (ECPs and EAPs) comprising either organic or inorganic materials. Chemical pollutants can be both natural and man-made, and they are mostly found in the air, water, and soil. Natural ECPs can occasionally be caused by naive or reckless human behavior. The bulk of ECPs are man-made and the product of human activities striving to improve life quality through industrialization. All ECPs can be harmful to human health because they are risk factors for diseases ranging from respiratory difficulties to cancer. Additionally, some ECPs, such as carbon dioxide, are released into the atmosphere as a result of industrial activity, which may indirectly negatively influence the life on Earth by contributing to global warming. Unlike natural ECPs, government regulation can limit or even prevent synthetic ECP production. The ECP cleanup is challenging and costly from an economic standpoint and necessitates highly specialized knowledge. Pesticides, toxic farm chemicals, and fertilizers are some of the most widespread EAPs. Pollution of the air, water, soil, and marine environments is just the beginning; these contaminants also pose a threat to human health through the plants and animals that humans eat. It has been noted that EAPs can cause hormonal disruptions in both animals and humans, and crop exposure to various contaminants in high quantities from air and water will result in reduced yields and growth and early mortality of plants. The economic impact of EAPs is represented in the costs of remediation and disease treatment caused by them. The current chapter focuses on the important environmental pollutants and their various biological or toxicological impacts on human and animal health.