EarthTalk Q&A: Expert Answers to Your Environmental Questions

Where do I find sources of Earth-friendly building supplies and materials?

What are the special environmental threats to Native Americans

People suffering from otherwise unexplainable medical problems such as headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, and even chest pains may have everyday chemicals to blame. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a medical condition whereby such symptoms

There is a clear relationship between the number of boats in a given area and the levels of coliform bacteria in both water and shellfish, reports the San Francisco Estuary Project. High levels of coliform bacteria, which indicate sewage pollution, can spread disease

Food irradiation—used to kill bacteria, parasites and insects in food and to retard spoilage—is actually not new. Research began early in the 20th Century and picked up in the 1950s as part of the U.S. government’s “Atoms for Peace” effort to find non-wartime uses for nuclear technology.

Manufacturers of vinyl mini-blinds used to add lead as a plastic stabilizer to make the blinds more rigid, and for color retention. Sunlight and heat then broke down the plastic, leaving behind trace amounts of lead dust.

Pfiesteria piscicida, a microbe, normally exists in rivers and bays in non-toxic forms, feeding on algae and bacteria. Scientists believe that this tiny creature becomes toxic only in the presence of fish, at which point Pfiesteria cells release a powerful poison that stuns fish

Proponents of raw foods, sometimes called “living foods,” believe that raw foods are much healthier for the body than cooked or processed foods. Followers of diets based wholly or largely on raw foods claim numerous health benefits, including increased energy levels

Beach erosion has both human and natural causes. The process of erosion carries beaches out to sea, but it also created them over millions of years from the rock-strewn shores that originally covered our planet.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even when there is no human-caused pollution, ground water, including well water, can contain a number of natural impurities that result from conditions in the watershed or in the ground.