The Toxic Doughnut
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2016-04-26T14:14:45-07:00
Altgeld Gardens was eventually called the “Toxic Doughnut” because it was built on and around these industrial sites. These sites caused pollution that smelled, according to the residents, like rotten eggs and dead cats. This area has the highest levels of chromium, cadmium, and sulfates in the state of Illinois. These toxins can cause high levels of asthma attacks. This state also has high levels of lung-damaging soot as well as brain-damaging lead. Because of the many toxic chemicals that these sites produce and pollute, there is a high risk of getting cancer. Along with cancer, this pollution also causes many other health problems for the residents, such as respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, and pregnancy abnormalities. According to a survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, seventy percent of the Altgeld Gardens Residents experience a form of respiratory infection.
