| Word | Meaning |
| acid rain noun | rain that contains harmful chemicals that collect in the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned |
| carcinogen noun | a substance that has been linked to causing one or more types of cancer |
| contaminated adj. | has come in contact with organisms or substances that cause disease |
| developing country noun | a nation that is working towards becoming more economically and socially advanced |
| domestic waste noun | garbage that is produced by people in a household |
| dumping verb | placing waste in an area that is not appropriate ( ex. dumping chemicals in oceans) |
| hazardous waste noun | a form of garbage that is harmful to health of plants, animals, or humans and requires careful disposal (ex. batteries or paint) |
| industrial adj. | related to the advancement of the economy |
| pesticides noun | chemicals that are sprayed on crops to prevent insects from destroying them |
| pollutant noun | something that causes damage to the environment |
| pollution noun | the contamination of the environment |
| priority noun | of top concern |
| sewage noun | waste that humans put down drains |
| smog noun | air pollution caused by a reaction between chemicals in the atmosphere and sunlight |
| sustain verb | support |
| toxic chemicals (toxins) noun | poisonous materials that can cause disease |
| ventilation noun | the replacement of unclean air with fresh air |
