ABSTRACT
In the course of an ordinary day, which many us live in a fog of pollution, we encounter a barrage of harmful chemicals, most of them invisible and many of them unknown-in our workplaces, on the streets, in our food and in our homes. In much of the world, air and water quality are, at best, suspect. That environmental derangement on this scale brings with it severe health repercussions cannot be doubted. As environmental damage escalates, so, too, will problems of health. However, specific and definitive links are often difficult to establish. As yet, only a few environmental problems are known to have identifiable health consequences-such as the depletion of the ozone layer (see Map 28) causing rising rates of skin cancer. However, the hazards of urban living are clearly illustrated by increased lead levels found in the blood of most inhabitants of most large cities.
