Bioaccumulationthumb|upright=1.2|Principe de la bioamplification La bioaccumulation désigne la capacité de certains organismes (végétaux, animaux, fongiques, microbiens) à absorber et concentrer dans tout ou une partie de leur organisme (partie vivante ou inerte telle que l'écorce ou le bois de l'arbre, la coquille de la moule, la corne, etc.) certaines substances chimiques, éventuellement rares dans l'environnement (oligo-éléments utiles ou indispensables, ou toxiques indésirables).
Polluant organique persistantvignette|En 1958, le programme national d'éradication du paludisme des États-Unis a utilisé une approche entièrement nouvelle mettant en œuvre le DDT pour la pulvérisation des moustiques. Le DDT, développé pour la première fois au début de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, était très efficace dans la lutte contre les maladies à transmission vectorielle telles que le paludisme, le typhus, mais a été interdit par l'Environmental Protection Agency en juin 1972, d'utilisation générale aux États-Unis.
Health effects of pesticidesHealth effects of pesticides may be acute or delayed in those who are exposed. Acute effects can include pesticide poisoning, which may be a medical emergency. Strong evidence exists for other, long-term negative health outcomes from pesticide exposure including birth defects, fetal death, neurodevelopmental disorder, cancer, and neurologic illness including Parkinson's disease. Toxicity of pesticides depend on the type of chemical, route of exposure, dosage, and timing of exposure.
Alcohol and cancerAlcohol causes cancers of the oesophagus, liver, breast, colon, oral cavity, rectum, pharynx, and larynx, and probably causes cancers of the pancreas. Consumption of alcohol in any quantity can cause cancer. The more alcohol is consumed, the higher the cancer risk, and no amount can be considered safe. Alcoholic beverages were classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 1988. 3.6% of all cancer cases and 3.
PollutantA pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (i.e. manufactured materials or byproducts). Pollutants result in environmental pollution or become public health concerns when they reach a concentration high enough to have significant negative impacts.