An example of this is acid rain. Acidification is a serious environmental problem that inhibits reproduction of aquatic organisms, induces the release of chemically bound metals and nutrients, and affects the growth of forests. Soil pollution may come from many different sources. Examples include mines, dump sites, former industrial areas and areas close to main roads and airports. Soil can be contaminated by direct exposure or indirectly via precipitation of particles.
Physical agents are common environmental pollutants.
The most well-known of these is radioactivity, which can be divided into cosmic, ground and water radiation. In addition to this there are anthropogenic sources of radioactivity such as medical treatments, production and use of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Biological contamination is a severe problem best illustrated by fungal infection of crops, especially in humid and warm conditions. Inheritance and behavior in environmental medicine Inheritance is an important factor in how the body respond to risk factors in the environment. Many genes are involved in this response and we are only beginning to understand the very complex nature of this.