Print this Page
- Kids' Health
- Health Threats & Effects
- Farming & Pesticides
- Chemicals at Home, School & Work
- Science & Public Policy
In Brief Articles
- Consequences of Global Warming
Fact Sheet - A hotter planet means dirtier air and water, more severe floods and droughts, more wildfires and other serious consequences.
- Get the Lead Out
Guides - The EPA's proposed standard for lead in the air ignores scientists' urgings and fails to adequately protect public health.
- Global Warming and Our Health
Fact Sheet - Global warming is already affecting human health worldwide. See who's being affected, and how some are preparing for change.
- Rebuilding New Orleans
Overview - In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a team of health and environmental specialists from NRDC has been working with the people of New Orleans to ensure their safe recovery from the disaster.
- Bad Chemistry: A Special Report
OnEarth - Author Gay Daly examines how hundreds of man-made chemicals -- in our air, our water, and our food -- could be damaging the most basic building blocks of human development.
- On the Ground in New Orleans: An NRDC Fact-finding Mission
Photo Album - A photo journal from NRDC experts gathering first-hand information about the health and environmental after-effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- Five Dangerous Pollutants in the Air You Breathe
Fact Sheet - Much of the haze that once blanketed our cities has cleared since the 1970s, thanks to tough environmental laws. But air pollution, including the kind you can’t see, still poses health risks to millions of Americans.
- Asthma and Air Pollution
Fact Sheet - Bad air can bring on asthma attacks, even in healthy people; tracking air quality and controlling pollution from cars, factories and power plants can help.
- Sewage Pollution Threatens Public Health
News - Sewage overflows are creating a public health crisis. Find out how aging sewer systems and Bush Administration rollbacks of environmental law are compounding the problem.
- Mercury Contamination in Fish: A Guide to Staying Healthy and Fighting Back
Guides - Power plants and chemical facilities are the main sources of mercury pollution, but this hazardous chemical makes its way into our homes and bodies in fish. This guide provides information about the health effects of mercury exposure, shows where it's coming from, offers tips for eating fish more safely and highlights opportunities to help stop mercury pollution.
- The Campaign to Dump Dirty Diesel
History - NRDC has been square in the middle of a national, grassroots effort to clean up diesel pollution. We have led the way on numerous fronts and through many fights on the diesel issue, and sticking to our guns on a few key principles has been important to our success.
- Cleaning Up the Anacostia River
Fact Sheet - After more than a century of abuse, plans are being made to bring Washington, D.C.'s "Forgotten River" back to life.
- How Lead Poisons the Human Body
Fact Sheet - Lead is devastating to the human body, inhibiting oxygen and calcium transport and altering nerve transmission in the brain. Even low concentrations of lead can cause permanent damage, and children are especially vulnerable.
- Lead Paint in Schools
FAQ - Answers to questions including: How do I determine whether my child’s school has a problem with lead paint? What is considered to be an unacceptable level of lead in paint? How do I know if my child has lead poisoning?
- Harmful Pet Products
FAQ - Answers to questions including: How can I tell which pet products contain dangerous chemicals? Which products should I buy? How can I tell if my child or pet has been harmed by these pet pesticides?
- Pet Products May Harm Both Pets and Humans
News - Americans purchase and apply to their pets a vast array of toxic chemicals intended to kill fleas and ticks. Though consumers may assume that these products have been tested rigorously for safety, the truth is that the poisons in many of these products are not safe, either for pets or humans.
- Endocrine Disruptors
FAQ - Answers to questions including: What is an endocrine disruptor? What are some likely routes of exposure to endocrine disruptors? Are children at greater risk from endocrine disruptors?
- The Leaded Gas Scare of the 1920s
History - The invention of the additive tetraethyl lead for gasoline in the 1920s was a great technological advance, improving the performance of gasoline-fueled engines. But in 1924, reports began to appear of the harmful effects the substance had on humans. People working closely with tetraethyl lead had died suddenly and mysteriously. The reports were hushed up and leaded gas continued to power big American cars for another 50 years. Today we know that while lead is good for cars, it is bad for people. Although finally banned in the U.S. and other industrialized nations, leaded gasoline continues to be used in many developing countries where it is a continuing health risk.
- Particulate Air Pollution
FAQ - Answers to questions including: What is particulate matter? Where do fine particles come from? What are the health effects of particulate pollution?
