Pollution

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plastic food containers, trays and food packaging made from polystyrene

Polystyrene: The Pros, the Cons, the Chemistry

Learn the organic chemistry behind this very useful plastic. Why is recycling polystyrene hard? Why does polystyrene often end up as solid waste?

Straws are a common single-use plastic. Image © Andreas Steidlinger, iStockPhoto.com

We Use a Lot of Plastic

What are microplastics? How are plastics polluting aquatic ecosystems?

The Nitrogen Cycle. Image © NH Animations

Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

What is the nitrogen cycle? How do human activities such as using fertilizer affect the nitrogen cycle? How can this cause greenhouse gases?

Cleaning Up Nuclear Waste After Decommissioning

When a nuclear reactor is no longer in use, the radioactivity in its materials remains. That’s why it’s important to safely deal with the radioactive waste those plants leave behind.

Hamilton, Ontario industrial area with Toronto skyline in the background

What are Greenhouse Gases?

This backgrounder explains what greenhouse gases are and how they contribute to climate change.

Cartoon leaf holding an umbrella over baby plant

What is Acid Rain?

Acid rain is any precipitation that has an unusually low pH. It can be rain, snow, fog, etc. But what is a low pH and why is this a problem?

Student uses a pipet to extract DNA with other students looking on.

Fish Market Survey

Senior biology students use a DNA barcoding kit to test local grocery store fish samples, and discover if the fish they bought is mislabeled and part of food fraud!

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Grade

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Jurisdiction

AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT, Outside Canada

What is the best way to clean up an oil spill?