This is the 15246th most frequent German word.
umweltschädlichen
Harmful to the environment.
In this sentence, 'umweltschädliche' is used as an adjective, describing the harmful nature of the chemicals to the environment.
Die Fabrik verwendet umweltschädliche Chemikalien.
The factory uses environmentally harmful chemicals.
Here, 'umweltschädlichen' modifies the noun 'Verfahren', indicating that the methods in question negatively affect the environment.
Wir sollten den Einsatz von umweltschädlichen Verfahren reduzieren.
We should reduce the use of environmentally harmful methods.
In this instance, 'umweltschädlichen' describes the impacts, emphasizing their environmental harm.