The Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 18th centuries is responsible for many of today's basic pollutants. A series of technological advances in machinery, such as the steam engine, as well as a preponderance of other goods moved from homes and small factories to large industrial sites led to ever-increasing pollution. The creation of more productive processing used to make cotton textiles increased the number of mills located in England and eventually moved to the northeastern United States. The steam engine allowed companies to move manufacturing plants from rivers and other waterways to densely populated urban areas. Pollution increased due to the concentration of these industrialized city centers, which now used coal, which replaced the natural energy of fast-flowing rivers. For example, evidence of pollution during the early industrial revolution in England and the European continent is widespread. South Wales, located in the southwest of England, was described by Adam Markham in A Brief History of Pollution (1994) as a "veritable witch's cauldron of industrial pollution". Hair samples from historical figures such as Isaac Newton and Napoleon Bonaparte show the presence of antimony and mercury at toxic levels not normally found in human hair. Pollution really became a major problem following the industrial revolution. Manual labor was replaced by mechanical labor, which significantly increased productivity. Coal power was widely used to replace manual labor of all kinds. Railroads were also used to get materials to where they were needed, replacing riverboats and other more manual means of moving large quantities of materials. All of this contributed to accelerated growth and a lot of pollution as the world transformed into an industry-driven economy. People moved to cities, which was followed by a greater demand for urban living and urban products and more and more industries bore the brunt of this enormous demand. As in all times of great change, problems arose and the world reacted to the problems and challenges of the times. Today, most industrial pollution is slowly being addressed by local governments and nations, but newer, more harmful pollution remains a global problem that should not be forgotten. Works Cited Webster, B. (2011, July 2007). It gives off a big stench. The Times, p. 13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/875240151?accountid=34899Ross, J. (2010). Stinky auld, it doesn't stink anymore. Retrieved from http://www.reformation21.org/articles/auld-reekie-reeks-no-more.php