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The Arctic (the region from 60 degrees north latitude to the North Pole) suffers from pollution created by the activities of the industrialized world. Environmental health concerns caused by pollutants that become stationary due to the cold temperatures and slow natural cycles are exacerbated by poor health care delivery, inadequate waste disposal, and high rates of alcohol and tobacco use. Pollutants in an Artic environment remain there for decades. Bio-accumulation in the food chain is evident: Wolves contain six times the contaminants as caribou, and human inhabitants have high pollutant levels in their blood and fatty tissue. Global warming could cause a massive release of carbon dioxide due to melting of permafrost and the disruption of the traditional culture of indigenous people.
