Definition

• Toxic waste can be comprised of many different types of hazardous materials. It can be composed of materials, such as heavy metals like lead or cadmium, which are both extremely toxic, chemicals used in cleaners and pesticides or even radioactive materials. Toxic waste can be created as a result of industrial residue or the improper disposal of hazardous materials. Some materials are naturally hazardous, such as radioactive waste, which pose a serious risk if not properly contained.
  
  

Pollutants

• Toxic waste can enter the environment as a pollutant. How the toxins enter the environment depends on the specific material. Many toxic substances can become airborne when the waste is incinerated, a common practice of waste disposal. When heavy metal,s such as cadmium and lead, both of which are used in batteries, are burned, toxic particles are released into the air, posing a serious health risk. Toxic substances can also get into water supplies through the improper storage or even just being transmitted through the soil and air. Water-born pollutants can cause damage to ecosystems and possibly contaminate drinking water.
  
  

Health

• Toxic substances can cause very serious health problems in humans. Most toxic waste is carcinogenetic or known to cause neurological disorders and birth defects. According to Dr. Theo Colborn, even residual exposure to toxic chemicals is responsible for reduction in IQs and increased violent behavior, among more serious health problems. He also states that the average human has at least 250 chemical contaminants in their body stored in fat deposits. Dr. Colborn asserts that this number can be even higher for those living far from industrial centers as pollutants that result from toxic waste travel long distances and builds up to higher concentrations along the way.
  
  

Eliminating

• One of the easiest ways to reduce toxic waste is to stop producing it. While industrial centers are by far the largest producers of toxic waste, reducing or eliminating the usage of toxic chemicals in the household, such as cleaners or pesticides and recycling applicable items will help reduce the levels of toxic waste materials. Switching to products marketed as "green" should help avoid using items that are environmentally hazardous in creation, usage or disposal. Always properly dispose of hazardous materials, such as car batteries, to ensure they will not release toxic pollutants into the environment.