Category

Key Agents

Major Sources

Primary Health Concerns

Heavy Metals & POPs

Pb, Cd, Hg, As; PCBs, PBDEs, OCPs

Industrial emissions, mining, e-waste, agricultural use

Neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption

Particulate Matter & Occupational Dust

PM2.5, PM10; coal dust, silica, asbestos

Combustion processes, traffic, construction, mining

Pulmonary fibrosis, copd, lung cancer, cardiovascular effects

Emerging Contaminants

Microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials

Consumer products, wastewater, industrial effluents

Immunotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, reproductive effects (emerging evidence)

Food-Related Contaminants

Aflatoxins, acrylamide, pesticide residues, heavy metals

Contaminated crops, processed foods, food packaging

Hepatocellular carcinoma, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption