Facts about Industrial Air Pollution
- 08
In 1948, a toxic smog event in Donora, Pennsylvania, caused by zinc smelter emissions, killed 20 people and sickened nearly half the town's population of 14,000.
- 07
Asbestos mining and processing in Quebec's Thetford Mines region during the 1960s-1980s released carcinogenic fibers that caused mesothelioma rates among residents to exceed the national average by 40 times.
- 06
Lead emissions from leaded gasoline burned by vehicles and industrial engines caused blood lead levels in American children to peak at 88 percent in 1976 before the EPA phased out leaded fuel.
- 05
Acid rain from sulfur dioxide emissions at copper smelters in Sudbury, Ontario during the 1970s destroyed forests across 10,000 square kilometers before emissions controls reduced pollution by 90 percent.
- 04
Steel production in Pittsburgh during the 1970s released enough iron oxide particles to turn rain orange and corrode buildings, until the Clean Air Act of 1970 forced industrial emissions controls.
- 03
Particulate matter from industrial emissions in Northern India reduced visibility to 30 meters during November 2016, creating hazardous conditions across Delhi and surrounding regions.
- 02
Coal-burning power plants in China emit approximately 1.4 billion tons of sulfur dioxide annually, making industrial air pollution the leading environmental health risk worldwide.
- 01
The 1952 Great Smog of London killed approximately 12,000 people over five days due to industrial air pollution combining with weather conditions.