The 2017 survey, which surveyed 1,207 American adults from diverse backgrounds from all around the country, consists of four main categories: personal fears, paranormal fears, natural disasters, and fears related to extremism.

According to the results of the 2017 survey, the top 10 fears that American's face are:

1. Corruption of government officials (was also top fear for 2015 and 2016) 2. American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare (new fear) 3.  Pollution of rivers, lakes and the ocean (new to the top 10) 4. Contamination of drinking water (new to the top 10) 5. Financial insecurity in the future 6. High medical expenses 7. America will be drawn into a third world war (new fear) 8. Atmospheric warming and climate change impacts 9. North Korea firing missiles (new fear) 10. Air pollution

Environmental Fears Predominate

Surprisingly, four environmental fears are included on the top 10 fears for 2017, including pollution of freshwater and marine systems (ranked 3rd overall) and fear of contamination of drinking water (ranked 4th), which are both new to the top 10, as well as fear of global warming and climate change (ranked 8th) and air pollution (ranked at number 10).

"The 2017 survey data shows us that while some of the top fears have remained, there has also been a pronounced shift to environmental fears," said Christopher Bader, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Chapman University, who led the team effort. "We are beginning to see trends that people tend to fear what they are exposed to in the media. Many of the top 10 fears this year can be directly correlated to the top media stories of the past year."

Pollution of Freshwater and Marine Waters

According to the survey, fifty three percent of Americans fear the pollution of streams, rivers and oceans. The sudden increase in people citing this as a fear during the 2017 survey is attributed to the recent reversal of many environmental policies that were introduced by the Obama Administration.

Concerns Related to Quality of Drinking Water

Half of the respondents (50.4%) fear drinking water contamination, which may be partly attributed to lead poisoning of Flint residents due to drinking water contamination, which received extensive coverage by the media, but may also be due to widespread contamination by hazardous chemicals such as PFCs.

Fear of Climate Change & Atmospheric Pollution

Forty eight percent of respondents interviewed are fearful of climate change, while nearly forty-five percent fear air pollution — which not only poses a health risk, but also contributes to global warming and climate change. The dramatic increase in the number of respondents who now fear climate change and air pollution may be due to President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

A detailed overview of the survey including a comprehensive list of the things Americans currently fear most is available on The Chapman University website.

Video below: