Florida Wildlife Extension at UF/IFAS. Non-Native Plants Non-Native Animals With the events of September 11, 2001, the anthrax mail attacks, and the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security, many individuals have become aware of the threat of biological weapons directed towards people.
However, few realize how vulnerable the U.S. agricultural infrastructure is to pests and disease outbreaks resulting from accidental or deliberate introductions of invasive species. Over the past 200 years or so, more than 50,000 foreign plant and animal species have become established in the United States. Critters gone wild. Water pollution FAQ. More information on health effects of microrganisms Where does water pollution come from?
Water pollution is usually caused by human activities. Different human sources add to the pollution of water. There are two sorts of sources, point and nonpoint sources. Point sources discharge pollutants at specific locations through pipelines or sewers into the surface water. Clean water now! Water pollution: Chemicals show up in Chicago's drinking water. August 06, 2011|By Michael Hawthorne, Tribune reporter Trace amounts of sex hormones, prescription drugs, flame retardants and herbicides are being detected in treated drinking water pumped to more than 7 million people in Chicago and its suburbs.
In the latest round of testing prompted by a 2008 Tribune investigation, city officials discovered that more than two dozen pharmaceutical drugs and other unregulated chemicals pass through Chicago's massive treatment plants. Pharmaceutical pollution.