An organism's habitat must provide all of the basic requirements for its life. Any substance that is a by-product of society and is classified under U.S. or Canadian law as potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Hazardous wastes are subject to special handling, shipping, storage, and disposal requirements under the law. Hazardous waste site Land disposal site for hazardous wastes. Heavy metals Metallic elements with high atomic weights that tend to be toxic and bioaccumulate.
Examples are mercury, arsenic, lead, etc.
Herbicide A chemical pesticide designed to control or destroy plants, weeds, or grasses. A persistent toxic chemical that was originally manufactured as a fungicide for cereal crops. It is also generated as a byproduct in the manufacture of pesticides and can be formed during the combustion of substances containing chlorine. A species that can provide a measure of environmental conditions or changes, that can reflect contaminant levels in their environment, or that can give early warnings of environmental problems. A chemical compound that does not contain carbon.