Drinking water quality is 'biggest environment concern in US'

A new poll has revealed that Americans are more concerned over water quality than any other environmental issue.

In particular, pollution of drinking water is the most commonly cited environmental concern for people in the US, with 59 per cent of respondents in a Gallup poll admitting they worry a "great deal" about the matter.

The second most frequent cause for anxiety among eco-minded Americans is a two-way tie between toxic contamination of soil and pollution of water in lakes, reservoirs and rivers - which are a major worry to 52 per cent.

"Given the essential nature of water to sustaining human and other life, it is not surprising to find that some form of water pollution has been the top-ranking environmental issue of concern to Americans in each Gallup reading since 1989," the research firm commented.

Earlier this month, a separate poll by Gallup revealed that more US citizens would put the nations' economic problems ahead of environmental issues than vice versa - the first time this has been the case since Gallup began surveying the public.