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TOXIC POLLUTION OF THE AIR WE BREATHE IN, EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIVES |
Human being is a living entity as a being one, we have to breathe to exist and the very air that forms the main source of where we draw oxygen molecules for our tissue and cells to utilize is full of adverse and dangerous contaminants commonly referred to as toxic air pollutants or air toxics.
Toxic Air Pollutants
Toxic air pollutants are also referred to as hazardous air pollutants
(HAPS) or air toxics and are poisonous substances in the air that come
from natural sources (eg. Radon gas released from the ground) or from man
made sources (eg. emission of exhaust gases from motor vehicles).
They are generally known to cause harm to the environment or your health.
Inhaling (breathing) toxic air pollutants can increase your chances of
experiencing health problems. Toxic air pollutants may exist as vapors
(gases) or particulate matter. Toxic air pollutants may include metals,
other particles, gases absorbed on to particles, and certain vapors from
fuels and other sources. There is a legal difference between air
toxics or "Hazardous Air Pollutants" and "Criteria Air Pollutants".
The American National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) classified
"Criteria Air Pollutants" can cause adverse health and environmental effects,
they are not included in the Clean Air Act Title III "Hazardous Air Pollutant"
program. The Clean Air Act (Section 112) at the moment, register
a .limited number of toxic air pollutants to be used by (EPA) to identify
the initial list of source categories for which, technology-based, toxic
air emission reduction standards would be considered. These substances
are certain volatile organic chemicals, pesticides, radionuclides and herbicides
that are health hazardous, back up by scientific studies of exposure to
mammals including humans. Once released, toxic pollutants can be
carried by the wind, away from the original sites, to other locations.
Factors such as the terrace of the grounds eg. valleys and mountains plus
the physical and chemical structures of the pollutants will result in the
eventual distance of distribution and concentration of it. The physical
and chemical composition will determine its state of suspension in the
air as well as deterioration of it. Some pollutants are of particular
danger because they deteriorate very slowly or not at all such as the case
of lead or mercury. These dangerous air toxics can persist in the environment
for a long time or forever and can be transported to a long distances.
Particulate Matter
Particulate matter – PM or particulates meant the many varieties and
sizes of suspended particles in the air and include combustion products
such as ashes or soot, tiny droplets of liquids known as aerosols, and
wind carried dust. The size of particulates can be from visible grains
of sand and dust to tiny particles so small that you can only see them
with a microscope.
Particulates can impair visibility and poses a serious health threat
to human beings. Our respiratory systems can only filter out larger particles
but cannot do so with particles less than 10 microns in diameter and damaging
to the lungs. Smaller particles ie. 2.5 microns can penetrate very deep
into the lungs and do the most harm. Toxic and cancer-inducing compounds
can “ride” on these particulates and be directly absorbed into the lungs.
These particulates, when “trapped” in the alveoli ( tiny air-sacs) may
interfere with oxygen and carbon dioxide interchange. Babies and small
children are most susceptible to particulates because of smaller lungs
and less mature immune system. The prime sources of PM are agriculture
dusts, all types of motor vehicles, wood stores, fire places, industrial
emissions, any type of burning, etc.etc. Particulates concentrates in areas
of industrial or agricultural activities, in areas of dense population,
etc.etc. All these are caused by human intervention, however some particulates
are there naturally such as pollen from plants, wind-blown sand and dust,
bits of earth from volcanoes and soot from forest fires.
Gases
Gases are chemicals suspended in the air and many of them are invisible.
Some gases are useful such as oxygen and some of them are harmful such
as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, ozone and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) etc.etc. Gases are created by nature such as oxygen
from plants during photosynthesis and others from eruption of volcanoes,
lighting and decomposition of plants. Humans also put many types of gases
into the air through gas stove burning, in industrial activities etc.etc.
DANGER IN THE AIR AND ATMOSPHERE – INDOOR AT HOME
A growing body of scientific research data has shown that the air within homes and offices can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the biggest and most industrial cities. Most people spend about 90% of their time indoors at home or office, thus the risks to their health is greater due to indoor pollution as compared to outdoor air pollution. At the same time, those people who may be exposed to indoor air pollutants for the longest time are most often, susceptible to the effects of indoor pollution and these include the very young ( babies and small children), the pregnant, the elderly and the chronically ill, especially those who have respiratory problems e.g. asthma and cardiovascular diseases. Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particulates – into the air the major cause of bad indoor air quality especially in the homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels because of not enough outdoor air diluting the emissions from indoor sources and also not transporting indoor air pollutants out of the home. High humidity and temperature can contribute to certain pollutants concentration in the home. There will be air exchange between the indoor and the outdoor and outdoor air enters and leaves a house by infiltration, natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation. In infiltration, outdoor air moves into the house through joints, openings and cracks in walls, floors, closed doors and closed windows etc. Air moves through opened windows and doors in natural ventilation. Then, mechanical ventilation are caused by mechanical ventilation devices such as exhaust fans that remove air from rooms such as toilets, kitchens etc. and air conditioning that removes indoor air from the bedroom and dispel it outdoor and take in outdoor air, filter it and distribute it back into the bedroom. When the exchange rate is low between the indoor and outdoor air contents, the pollutant levels in indoor may increase.
Pollutants and Pollutants
Sources
Radon (Rn)
Radon is a colourless, odorless and tasteless gas that occurs everywhere.
All homes have a problem of radon infiltration as the most common source
of indoor radon is the decomposition of uranium in the soil or rock on
which the homes are built. Building materials also give off radon in homes.
The foremost health effect due to exposure of high concentration of radon
is lung cancer, even swallowing water with high radon levels may be dangerous
too. The risk of lung cancer is specially high when you smoke in home with
high radon level.
Environmental
Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
It is define as the mixture of smoke that comes from the burning end
of a cigarette, a pipe or cigar, and smoke exhaled by the smoker. It is
a complicated mix of over 4,000 compounds of which more than 40 of them
are causing cancer in humans or animals. ETS is also known as “secondhand
smoke” and exposure to ETS is also known as “passive smoking” In 1992,
EPA completed a major assessment of the respiratory health risks of ETS
and reported that ETS is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer
deaths each year in nonsmoking adults and damages the respiratory organs
of hundreds of thousands of students. The ETS also increased infants
and young children’s risk of lower respiratory tract infections ( pneumonia
and bronchitis). They show symptoms of respiratory irritation like cough,
excess phlegm and wheeze. Some children may also have a build-up
of fluid in the middle ear, which leads to ear infections, and some children
have slightly reduced lung function. People especially children who have
asthma when exposed to ETS have had increased severity of symptoms and
may even induce non-asthmatic children to develop the disease. Exposure
to ETS causes eye, nose and throat irritation and may also affect the cardiovascular
system and induce the onset of chest pain.
Biological Contaminants
Indoor air is also been affected by biological contaminants and they
include bacterial, viruses, mildew, molds, animal dander, cat saliva, cockcroaches,
pollen and house dustmites. Even the protein in urine from rats and mice
is a potent allergen. When it dries, it can become airborne. Contaminated
central air distribution systems can also act as breeding grounds for mildew
and molds and other sources of biological contaminants. A damp and warm
environment will encourage the growth of house dust mites, the source of
one of the most potent biological allergens. Some biological contaminants
trigger allergic reactions, including pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and
some types of asthma. Influenza, chicken pox and measles are infectious
disease which are transmitted through the air. Molds and mildews release
disease-causing toxins. Symptoms of health problems induced by biological
pollutants are watery eyes, sneezing, shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness,
fever, lethargy and digestive problem. Some diseases such as humidifier
fever are due to exposure to toxins from micro organisms that grow in large
building ventilation system as well as in home heating and cooling systems
including humidifiers.
Stoves,
Heaters, Fire Places and Chimneys
Unvented kerosene, wood stoves, gas space heaters, fire places and
gas stoves are sources of combustions products and the major pollutants
are nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide and particles. Unvented kerosene heater
also produce acid aerosols. Chimneys and flues that are improperly installed
or maintained and cracked furnace heat exchangers also produce combustion
gases and particles. Pollutants from fire places and wood stoves with no
special outdoor air supply can be “back-drafted” into the living room,
from the chimney. Wood smoke which seems so natural and harmless contains
over 100 different chemicals or compounds and many of them are extremely
poisonous and carcinogenic. The particles in wood smoke are too minute
to be filtered out and trapped by the nose and upper respiratory system
and they penetrate deep into the lungs like tiny daggers and some are even
iron coated from combustion. These particles can remain in the lungs for
months, years and even for a lifetime, irritating and damaging the delicate
lining, causing scarring and chemical changes leading to permanent damage.
Wood smoke may be more destructive and dangerous than Environmental Tobacco
Smoke (ETS). Biopsies of rural women exposed regularly to wood smoke showed
that their lungs were red and raw, ravaged by fissures, much worse than
lungs damaged by regular cigarette smoking. Wood smoke decreases lung function
and aggravates asthma, emphysema, pneumonia and bronchitis. It stings the
eyes and triggers migraines, headaches and allergies. Long term exposure
may lead to chronic bronchitis emphysema, arterioclerosis, and nasal, throat,
lung, blood and lymph-system cancers. The free radicals unleashed by wood
smoke is 40 times more portent than cigarette smoke in attacking the body’s
immune system.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
It is one of the gases released in burning and is colourless, that
interferes with the oxygen intake of the body. At lower concentrations,
a range of symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, confusion,
disorientation and fatigue even in healthy people and people with chronic
heart disease – they have events of increased chest pain.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
It is a colourless, odorless gas that irritates the mucous membrane
in the eye, nose and throat and causes shortness of breath after high concentrations
exposure. Repeated exposure of elevated nitrogen dioxide can lead to the
development of lung disease such as emphysema and increase infections of
the lungs.
Household Products
Organic Chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products
such as cleaning agents, wax, paints and varnishes all contain organic
solvents, similarly many disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing and hobby products.
The range of household products that contain potentially harmful substances
that contribute to indoor air pollution is diverse and wide-reaching. Even
fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products release organic
compounds while during usages and gradually and slowly during storage.
EPA’s studies found levels of a number of common organic pollutants to
be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes that outside, irrespective that the
homes were located in highly industrial or rural areas. At the same time,
these people who are using the products containing organic chemicals, expose
themselves and other people to very high pollutant levels and even after
the activity is completed, the elevated concentrations still persist in
the air for a longtime.
The ability of organic chemicals to cause health problems depends on
the toxicity of the chemicals to human being and it can be highly toxic
or none at all. The other factor depends on the length of time exposed
and the concentration of exposure. Many organ compounds are known to cause
cancer in human or are suspected to. Methylene chloride is known to cause
cancer and is present in paint strippers, adhesive removers and aerosol
spray paints. Aerosol spray products including health, beauty, and cleaning
products – prolonged or excessive exposure to the pesticides released into
the air may cause headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, eye, throat and
lung irritation, skin rashes, burns and liver damage especially for sensitive
people. Another danger is that aerosol containers may explode if exposed
to heat, causing burns and serious injury. Chlorine bleaches can irritate
and burn skin and eyes. When mixed with other substances to make a cleaning
solution can produce very dangerous gas that can be deadly. Even rug and
upholstery cleaners may contain some chemicals when inhaled excessively
can cause anemia, liver damage, convulsions and possible coma.
The average home contains some 45 aerosol products alone, which include
potentially harmful chemicals such as potassium hydroxide, perchloroethylene
methylene chloride, mercury, lead arsenate and paradichlorobenzene and
the aerosol particles produced thereof which can carry many of these toxic
compounds with them, are small enough to bypass the lung’s defences and
render harm.
Formaldehyde
It is a colourless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause burning sensations
in the eyes and throat, nausea and difficulty in breathing in some humans
exposed at elevated levels ( above 0.1 parts per million ). High concentrations
can trigger attacks in people with asthma. Research shows that it can cause
cancer in animals and may cause cancer in man. It is widely used in building
materials and many household products, thus it is present in substantial
concentrations in indoors and outdoors. It is found also in unvented, fuel-burning
appliances like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters, permanent press quality
clothing and draperies, in glues and adhesive and as a preservative in
some paint and coating products. Pressed wood products use adhesive that
contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins include particle board ( used as
sub-flooring, shelving, cabinetry and furniture) hardwood paneling ( used
for decorative wall covering, in cabinets and furniture) and medium density
fibre-board ( used for drawer fronts, cabinet, and furniture tops). Other
pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood and flake or oriented strand
board also contains phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin.
A number of prefabricated and mobile homes have elevated levels of
formaldehyde due to the large amount of high-emitting pressed wood products
used in their construction. When the wood products are new, high indoor
temperatures or humidity can accelerate release of formaldehyde from these
products.
Pesticides
Seventy-five percent of US households used at least one pesticide product
indoors last year. Products most often used are disinfectants and insecticides.
Research also shows that 80% of most of the pesticides exposure to people
occurs indoors and different types of pesticides are found in the air inside
homes and in quantity greater or more varied than those in recent use.
The possible sources could be contaminated soil or dust that floats on
is brought in by walking from outside, stored pesticides containers and
household surfaces that collect and release them into the air in the home.
We use pesticides in and around the home such as termiticides against
termites, insecticides against insect, fungicides against fungi, rodenticides
against rodents and disinfectants against microbes. All these items are
sold as crystals, balls, powders, stickers. sprays, liquids and foggers.
These pesticides are meant to “kill” the specific types of pests but sometimes
“kill” or “half kill”. In addition to the active ingredient, “inerts” ingredients
are used to carry the active agent to the targeted pest and some of them
can cause health problems. Since both active and inert ingredients can
be organic compounds, they also add to the level of airborne organisms
in the house. As with other pollutants, the deterioration of the health
of the user depends on the duration of exposure and concentration of the
pollutants. Eye and lungs are affected resulting in headaches, dizziness
, visual disorders and memory impairment for some people after exposure
to some organic. In the long term, more serious complication may arise
such as cancer. People expose to high levels of cyclodiene pesticides reported
to have headaches, dizziness, weakness, tingling sensations, twitching
of muscles and nausea and in the long run, might even cause permanent damage
to the liver and the central nervous system as well as causing cancer.
Asbestos
It is a mineral fibre used in construction projects as insulating materials
and as a fire-retardant. When asbestos materials are disturbed by sanding,
cutting and other fabricating activities, the asbestos fibres are released
into the air in homes elevating dangerous concentrations of air borne asbestos
and endangering people living in those homes. Those asbestos fibres too
small to be seen eg. 2.5 micron reaches deep into the aveoli of the
lungs when they are inhaled in and remain and accumulate there. They can
cause cancer, mesothelioma ( a cancer of the chest and abdominal linings)
and asbestos ( irreversible lung scarring). All the symptoms only show
up after initial exposure many years later.
Lead
It has been recognized as the number one environmental threat to children’s
health in USA and definitely a very harmful environmental pollutant. There
are too many ways man can be exposed to lead, through air, drinking water,
food, contaminated soil, deteriorating paint and dust. Formerly it was
used in paint, gasoline, water pipes and many other products. Air borne
lead enters the body through inhalation of microscopic particulate containing
lead or swallow lead particles or dust. High concentration of airborne
lead particles in the house can be lead dust from outdoor sources, including
contaminated soil tracked from outside and the use of lead in certain indoor
activities such as stained glass making and soldering. Lead affects all
your body system at all levels. At low level, it can affect the kidney,
blood cells, the brain and central nervous system and at high level, convulsion,
coma and even death occurs. The toxic effect on fetuses, babies and young
children are even more damaging because of their age, their growing bodies
are more sensitive and vulnerable to lead exposure. Those who have been
exposed suffers delay in physical and mental development, lower IQ levels,
increased behavioral problems and shortened attention span. Children, definitely
have higher exposures because they are more likely to get lead dust on
their hands and put their fingers or lead-painted or contaminated objects
in their mouth.
DANGER IN THE AIR AND ATMOSPHERE - INDOOR AT OFFICE
In many office buildings, the pollutant levels are high due to inadequate
ventilation, and many indoor air pollution sources. The most important
factor determining the indoor air quality is the presence of pollutant
sources. The commonly found office pollutants and their sources are environmental
tobacco smoke, formaldehyde from pressed wood products, asbestos from insulating
and fire-retardant building materials, cleaning materials and activities,
paints, adhesive, rest room air freshners, copying machines, biological
contaminants from dirty ventilation systems or moist walls, ceilings, carpets,
as well as pesticides, aerosols and disinfectants used by the cleaning
and disinfecting lady. Mechanical ventilation systems which are poorly
designed operated or maintained can contribute to indoor air problems by
not drawing inadequate outdoor air for circulation or wrong location of
outdoor air intake vents, bringing in contaminated air saturated with pollutants
of motor vehicle exhausts etc. Then again the ventilation system is itself
an indoor pollution source by distributing biological contaminants that
have multiplied in cooling towers, humidifiers, air conditioners or the
interior of ventilation duct. Even if certain portions of the building
has been used for specialized purposes such as restaurants, print shop
or dry cleaning in the same building can contribute to indoor air pollutants.
Underground parking can contribute to carbon monoxide and other components
of automobile exhaust can contaminate the building’s indoor quality
through stain walls and elevator shafts.
It has been well established that illnesses such as asthma, hypersensitivity
pneumonitis, Legionnaine’s disease and humidifier fever are directly linked
to specific building problems. In certain buildings, the occupants may
experience symptoms that do not fit the pattern of any particular illness
and are difficult to trace to any specific source. This phenomenon
has been called sick building syndrome. Some people have complaints
of dry or burning mucous membranes in the nose, throat and eyes.
They may also have runny or stuffy nose, always seem to be tired or fatigue,
have headache, dizziness, nausea, irritability and forgetfulness.
DANGER IN THE AIR AND ATMOSPHERE - ON THE ROAD AND OPEN SPACES
Toxic pollutants in the open comes from many and varied sources and it affects us when we are walking, jogging, sitting, shopping or relaxing in the parks. In addition to those toxic pollutants that exist in indoor air, there are other types and sources of emissions of toxic pollution contributing to toxic gases and particulate as follows :-
a) On road engine emission (mobile) sources
d) Agriculture emission sources
b) Non-road engine emission sources
e) Nature aided emission sources
c) Industrial emission sources
f) Miscellaneous emission sources
On Road
Engine emission (Mobile) Sources
Motor vehicles – car, truck and bus, form the main source of air toxics
and according to EPA account for as much as half of all cancers attributed
to outdoor sources of air toxics. Below is the annual emissions and full
consumption for an average light truck.
| Pollution problem | Amount | Miles | Pollution or Fuel Consumption |
| Hydrocarbons Urban ozone (smog) and air toxics.
|
3.8 gm / mile | 14,000 | 114 lbs of H C |
| Carbon Monoxide
|
29.5gm / mile | 14,000 | 895 lbs of CO |
| Nitrogen Oxides Urban Ozone (smog) and Acid Rain
|
1.85 gm / mile | 14,000 | 58.5 lbs of Nox |
| Carbon Dioxide
|
1.2 pound / mile | 14,000 | 16,800 lbs of Co2 |
| Gasoline
|
0.066 gallon / mile | 14,000 | 915 gallons gasoline |
Some toxic compounds are present in gasoline and are released into the air during evaporation or the leftovers of unburned fuel eg. benzene, toluene and xylene. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, disease particulate matter and 1.3- butadiene are not present in fuel but are by products of incomplete combustion. Ozone is not emitted directly but is created in the air through a complex set of chemical reactions involving hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen ( emitted by motor vehicles) and sunlight. It is a highly reactive gas and a major component of smog. It can damage cells, prolonged or repeated exposures could be a risk factor for cancer. It irritates the sensitive tissue of the eyes, nose and lungs, causing inflammation, chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Physically, children are more vulnerable to air pollution than adults because their respiratory defenses are not fully formed. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a product of incomplete combustion and is especially lethal to heart diseased persons.
Nonroad Emission Sources
Nonroad is a term that comprises a wide collection of engines, vehicles
and equipment and include power equipment, recreational vehicles, aviation
aircraft, boats, locomotives, farm and construction equipment, generators,
lawn and garden equipment. The majority of nonroad equipment are
powered by gasoline engines that burn gasoline or diesel fuel. Pollution
from these engines are by-products of the combustion process called exhaust
and from evaporation of the gasoline fuel.
Pollutants from nonroad engines include particulate matter from the
smoke and odor associated with diesel exhaust, nitrogen oxides, carbon
dioxide and carbon monoxide and together they contribute to the overall
toxic pollution in outdoor air.
Industrial Emission
Sources
The industrial sector encompasses many types of industries that range
from those involving transportation, manufacturing, electricity producing,
cleaning to assembling. All these industries, however require chemicals
and solvent for cleaning, servicing and maintenance of its machinery.
Different types of lubricants and oil will be used to maintain the machines
in prime working condition. Waste and different types of pollutants will
definitely occur, resulting from the above usages. During manufacturing
, certain parts of the items of manufacturing will be discarded and different
types of pollutants will be created – some airborne and some not. At the
end of the day, product and service will be produced but toxic pollutants
are also mandatory and cover the following industries.
1) Air Transportation Industry
2) Dry Cleaning Industry
3) Electronics and Computer Industry
4) Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation Industry
5) Ground Transportation Industry
6) Inorganic Chemical Industry
7) Iron and Steel Industry
8) Lumber and Wood Products Industry
9) Metal Casting Industry
10) Metal Fabrication Industry
11) Metal Mining Industry
12) Motor Vehicle Assembly Industry
13) Non-ferrous Metals Industry
14) Non-fuel, Non-metal Mining Industry
15) Organic Chemical Industry
16) Petroleum Refining Industry
17) Pharmaceutical Industry
18) Plastic Resins and Man-made Fibres Industry
19) Printing Industry
20) Pulp and Paper Industry
21) Rubber and Plastic Industry
22) Shipbuilding and Repair Industry
23) Stone, Glass and Concrete Industry
24) Textiles Industry
25) Transportation Equipment Cleaning Industry
26) Water Transportation Industry
Agriculture Emission
Sources
Agriculture emission sources are basically from two sources, one is
that from agricultural crop production and the second, is from agricultural
stock production.
Agricultural Crop
Production
Agricultural crop production involves i) preparing the land for
planting of seeds ii) during growth period iii)
harvesting the mature crops.
i) Preparing the land for planting of seeds involve plowing huge tract
of land e.g. for maize or corn and after plowing, the top soil (fine particles)
without the protection of vegetation cover can be carried by wind and any
pesticides or fertilizers, to many parts of the area, contributing to particulate
matters in the air.
ii) During growth period, fertilizers are added to the earth in liquid
or dry powder form. The fine mists of fertilizers will be carried
by the wind and so is dry powder form to many areas beyond the area of
intent. This also applies to pesticides in liquid or dry powder form
– most often by mechanical apparatus or huge tractor or even by aerial
spraying which increases the area of contamination.
iii) Harvesting time will also be another source of polluting the air
when machinery are being used, they stirred up the pesticides and fertilizers
which are present in the field and send them airborne in the process.
Many countries burn the residue of harvesting e.g. sugar cane fields in
Cuba or rice fields in Indonesia or in slash and burn traditional planting
method by the jungle people of Borneo.
Many types of pesticides are used in the control and eradication of
pests and these pesticides pose an equally dangerous situation to human
beings and some are especially dangerous and have been referred as Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs) because they are readily absorbed in fatty tissue,
their concentrations in the body can be magnified up to 70,000 times the
background levels. Some of the POPs used in agriculture are:
Aldrin
Used to control grasshoppers, termites and other insect pests, it can
also kill birds, fishes and even humans. Many shorebirds and waterfowl
along the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States were killed after consumption
of Aldrin - treated rice or dead animals which had consumed the rice.
DDT
It is used to eradicate malaria-bearing mosquitoes amongst agricultural
crops. It is very stable and half of the application can remain in
the soil for the next 10 to 15 years and it is so wide spread that traces
have been found in the Artic and Antartic regions.
Chlordane
It is used to kill termites and used as a broad spectrum insecticide
on crops. It is fatal to bob white quail, pink shrimp, mallard ducks
and is a possible human carcinogen which affects the immune system.
Contamination is basically in air pollution and can be found even in the
indoor air of homes in Japan and the United States.
Deldrin
It is used on textile pests, diseases bearing insects and termites.
Lethal to aquatic animals, especially frogs and fishes. Traces of
this POPs are in the air, water, soil, birds, fishes, snakes, mammals and
even human beings. It is even found in pasteurised milk in a US survey.
Endrin
It is used to control rodents in the crops, such as cotton and grains.
It is highly toxic to fish and may remain active in the soil up to 12 years
after application.
Mirex
It is used to eradicate fire ants and is toxic to several types of
plants, crustaceans and fish. It remains lethal for up to 10 years
after application. Humans can be exposed to it through many methods,
one of them is during spraying or harvesting time, when the airborne particles
are carried by the wind.
Heptachlor
Also used on soil insects, cotton insects and malaria bearing mosquitoes.
It is killing off several types of wild birds. It is also a possible
human carcinogen which have been found in the blood of cattle in Australia
and the United States.
Toxaphene
It is used on crops and livestock and can remain toxic up to 12 years
from first application. It is very toxic to fish and a possible human
carcinogen.
Agricultural Stock Position
Agricultural Stock Production also contributes to air pollution in
outdoor air. One of the most contributory item is animal wastes which
includes the fecal and urinary wastes of livestock and poultry. The
pollutants can be transported in many ways from confined or unconfined
animal facilities and one of the ways is by wind which picks up dry dust
particles carrying the animal waste together with dangerous microbes and
transport it to many areas far from the area of pick-up. Over-grazing
of land will reduce vegetation coverage on grazing land which leads to
exposed soil. Dust and fine particulate matters will be picked up
by the wind for air distribution of the pollutants. Even when big
herds of cattle run across such areas of exposed soil, they raise up dirt,
dust and fine particles carrying toxic contaminants which also will be
airborne by such action.
Nature Aided Emission
Sources
Nature aided emission sources consist of those not made by man, such
as volcanic eruptions, a flower’s pollen carried by the wind, sand storm,
forest burning through natural ignition by lighting. Volcano activities
emit large quantities of toxic gases and particulate matters spreading
over vast areas and cover upwards, downwards and all around due to the
explosive force of its eruptions. In fact, so much dust, smoke and
pollutants, most of which are hazardous in nature, fill the air that large
areas around it are covered by haze for long period of time and also caused
acid rain to fall in even areas far from the point of explosion. Similarly,
forest fires in especially dry areas create such condition in Indonesia
in 1998 that covers a large part of South East Asia with haze for many
months. Many people suffered from the ill effects and a number of
people were hospitalized or had to seek medical care due to aggravation
of their health problems especially, those suffering from asthma and bronchitis.
Miscellaneous Emission
Sources
These would cover basically man-made emission sources, such as open
burning of rubbish especially tires, outdoor tobacco smoking, festivals
fireworks e.g. Guy Fawkes day, Chinese New Year, burning logs in
camp activities which includes chestnut roasting, boy scout camp fires,
etc. All the above activities in burning release a lot of dangerous
gases such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde gas, nitrogen oxide, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons and 100 different chemical compounds – many which
are extremely poisonous and carcinogenic. Wood smoke containing particulate
too minute to be filtered out and trapped by the nose and upper respiratory
system, often ends up deep in the aveoli of the lungs damaging them permanently,
and can remain there for life.