Santo Domingo, November 9 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Urban pollution is causing a raising alarm as a major health risk for city dwellers, according to environmental research in the Dominican Republic reported by local media on Sunday.

Water and soil contamination, smog, and light, sound, and electromagnetic pollution are some of the different kinds of “environmental contamination” experienced every day in cities, according to data from Dominican Republic’s Ozama Green Foundation.

According to the organization, 21 out of the 37 most common illness suffered in Latin America are related to lack of access to water or the consumption of polluted water.  Such illnesses include cholera, malaria, typhoid, and parasites, among others.

Urban water pollution is often the result of runoff waste from industry, agricultural plantations, and households, according to the research. 

Likewise, soil pollution can result from the use of chemicals in industrial and agricultural production. Direct contact with contaminated soil could pose immediate health risks, but the compromised soil could also lead to water pollution in the polluted area.

In addition to the serious human health risks of physical soil and water pollution, the Ozama Green Foundation also pointed to several day-to-day impacts of noise pollution in cities, including sleep disorders, increased stress levels, loss of attention and communication difficulties.
       
The Dominican Republic has rules pertaining to environmental protection and waste management aimed at reducing the impact of such pollution.  The environmental standards and initiatives to reduce pollution in the Dominican Republic include emissions controls, infectious and hazardous chemical waste management, and noise pollution protection rules, among others.