These contaminants often cause gastrointestinal disease which in turn lead to dehydration and even starvation. The main source of oil in rivers, lakes, and bays is from oil spills from ships and offshore oil wells. In fact, the main source of oil in rivers, lakes, and bays today comes primarily from individuals changing their car oil and dumping it down a nearby storm drain or pouring it into the ground. The main source of CFCs in the U.S. today is in spray cans. The same number of adults still think that spray cans are the only source of CFCs in the U.S. today.
Disposable diapers are the greatest source of landfill material today.
Twenty-nine percent of adults believe incorrectly that disposable diapers are the greatest threat to crowded landfills. This belief still holds today. The biggest single source of landfill material today is paper products such as newspapers, boxes, packaging, and office paper, a fact which only about one-quarter of adults know. In addition to the questions pertaining to environmental myths, the 2,000 adults surveyed were asked to rate their own knowledge about environmental issues and problems. Interestingly, results showed that the people who think they know the most about environmental issues are most likely to give the myth response.