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Among others, the list of hazardous chemicals comprises heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons (for instance, polychlorinated and polybrominated biphenyls), nitrogen compounds, asbestos, and some pesticides. Toxicants can enter organisms and ecosystems in a variety of ways. Sewage discharge pollutes surface and subsurface waters. Solid waste is stored at special sites or is buried in deep geological repositories. In the second half of the twentieth century, the number of diseases caused by heavy metals and other chemicals went up worldwide. There are numerous articles on the Minamata disease caused by mercury, on cadmium-related Itai-Itai disease, and the Yusho and Yu-Cheng diseases caused by polychlorinated biphenyls. About 70,000–100,000 toxic substances are used in the production of goods and their number is rapidly increasing. Almost 5,000 of potentially toxic substances are …