10 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



day almost 50,000 tons of unpleasant, and sometimes poisonous, 

 sulfur dioxide are added to the atmosphere, and our automobiles 

 produce almost 300,000 tons of other pollutants. 



In Donora, Pa., in 1948, and New York City in 1953, serious 

 illness and some deaths were produced by sharp increases in air 

 pollution. In New Orleans, epidemic outbreaks of asthmatic attacks 

 are associated with air pollutants. Three-fourths of the 8 million 

 people in the Los Angeles area are annoyed by severe eye irritation 

 much of the year. And our health authorities are increasingly con- 

 cerned with the damaging effects of the continual breathing of pol- 

 luted air by all our people in every city in the country. 



In addition to its health effects, air pollution creates filth and 

 gloom and depreciates property values of entire neighborhoods. The 

 White House itself is being dirtied with soot from polluted air. 



Every major river system is now polluted. Waterways that were 

 once sources of pleasure and beauty and recreation are forbidden to 

 human contact and objectionable to sight and smell. Furthermore, 

 this pollution is costly, requiring expensive treatment for drinking 

 water and inhibiting the operation and growth of industry. 



In spite of the efforts and many accomplishments of the past, 

 water pollution is spreading. And new kinds of problems are being 

 added to the old : 



Waterborne viruses, particularly hepatitis, are replacing typhoid 

 fever as a significant health hazard. 



Mass deaths of fish have occurred in rivers overburdened with 

 wastes. 



Some of our rivers contain chemicals which, in concentrated form, 

 produce abnormalities in animals. 



Last summer 2,600 square miles of Lake Erie over a quarter 

 of the entire lake were almost without oxygen and unable to sup- 

 port life because of algae and plant growths, fed by pollution from 

 cities and farms. 



In many older cities storm drains and sanitary sewers are inter- 

 connected. As a result, mixtures of storm water and sanitary waste 

 overflow during rains and discharge directly into streams, bypassing 

 treatment works and causing heavy pollution. 



In addition to our air and water we must, each and every day, 

 dispose of a half billion pounds of solid waste. These wastes from 

 discarded cans to discarded automobiles litter our country, harbor 



