Iron is the starting point for steel making, which has formed the backbone of the advancement of modern technology and is vital for the education of the future. This is the predominant reason for the industrial revolution. The iron foundation, better known industrially as cast iron, received second honor because it is one of the least expensive engineering materials. When brought to melting temperatures, it gains the ability to be molded into complex shapes. Cast iron has been subdivided into 5 different classes when the composition is modified or altered. Each of these classes has different properties, but in comparison with steel, which also has its grades ranging from low to high quality carbon steel which are just alloys of purified iron with carbon and grades of Other metallic elements such as manganese and nickel, therefore the production of steel products differ only slightly from the commercial production of iron. Steel is easy to form, cheap and yet strong and durable, allowing it to be extremely versatile, creating products ranging from paperclips to reinforcing elements in the construction of buildings and skyscrapers. Sources The production of iron and steel is complex, it has a powerful effect on the environment and the ecosystem due to the considerable volume and intensive use of raw materials, raw materials and energy for its operations. The pollutants and waste produced during this process can be classified into three main categories: air pollutants, wastewater contaminants and solid waste. The diagram below shows the different channels through which raw materials must pass in the steelmaking process and the pollutants that follow its production. This is...... middle of paper ....../I&S_EIA_Final_1202. pdf [Accessed March 20, 2014].ILO. 2014. Environmental and public health issues. [online] Available at: http://www.ilo.org/oshenc/part-xi/iron-and-steel/item/593-environmental-and-public-health-issues [Accessed: March 24, 2014]. NHS. 2013. Carbon monoxide poisoning – NHS Choices. [online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/carbon-monoxid-poisoning/Pages/Introduction.aspx [Accessed: March 27, 2014].Remus, R., Roudier, S., Aguado- Monsonet, MA and Delgado Sancho, L. 2013. Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for Iron and Steel Production. Luxembourg: Publications Office. Tatasteelconstruction. 2014. Basic Oxygen Steelmaking. [online] Available at: http://www.tatasteelconstruction.com/en/reference/teaching_resources/building_in_steel/making_steel/from_iron_to_steel/basic_oxygen_steel_making_vid [Accessed: March 20 2014].