Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes in the world. Police confirmed the death of six teenagers during a camping trip due to toxic sulphur fumes from a volcano just outside Jakarta.

Is the Canadian government doing enough to protect its citizens from health hazards from products? A leading environmental researcher states that the “Canadian government has consistently failed to protect Canadians from the harmful effects of lead in toys and has refused to change outdated legislation to ensure product safety.”

A recent quality check on Chinese food products found that approximately 15% failed the test. This comes after a recall of millions of Chinese-made toys by the US toy company Mattel Inc.

Computers, televisions and cell phones brought to facilities to be recycled in the United States usually end up overseas, activists say. This e-waste then gets disassembled by workers in China, Inida and Nigeria, exposing them to a toxic mix of chemicals.

Runoff, which picks up pollutants from across the landscape is a big concern in the Puget Sound area, says a report studying the pollution sources.

Closed incineration plants and misused public funds have resulted in the pileup of 5 thousand tonnes of rubbish in Naples. Desperate residents in the city and surrounding Campania region are building bonfires in an attempt to clear the rubbish, but this also releases toxic pollutants into the air, causing health and environmental concerns.

In a proposal made by the European Union, paint removers containing the toxic chemical dichlorormethane will be restricted for sale and use after associated accidents and deaths to the substance.

Environmental Defence has released a report titled “Canada’s Toxic Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth” outlining the concerns surrounding Canada’s Tar Sands. All Canadians, regardless of where they live, are affected by the Tar Sands, which produce a number of toxic chemicals.

“Greenpeace tested 37 products that 14 major electronics brands picked out as their greenest and agreed to submit for testing, awarding them points for substitution of toxic substances, energy efficiency and recyclability.” Although electronic products are becoming greener, the industry still needs to put in a lot more effort to eliminate the vast amounts of hazardous and toxic components.