More on pollution
By Don Smolenski, Contributing Editor | TLT Machinery December 2023
Air and water pollution are increasingly problematic.
This column follows up my October TLT column.
1 Air pollution is blamed for six million premature deaths annually.
2 It is comprised of particulate matter (PM), formed by the combustion of fossil fuels by automobiles, construction equipment and power plants and dust.
2 PM is divided into PM
10 (particles <10 microns) and PM
2.5 (particles <2.5 microns). The former are implicated in nasal and upper respiratory issues, while the latter penetrate further into the lungs, causing heart attacks, strokes, bronchitis, lung disease and cancer, and also can impair brain development in children. Black carbon formed by burning fuel also is problematic, causing heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). High concentrations of NO and NO
2 contribute to air pollution and are found near major roads and increase the likelihood of asthma, heart disease and bronchitis. Ozone can cause respiratory irritation and decreased lung function. It is formed in the atmosphere when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NO react. Finally, sulfur dioxide (SO
2) is formed by burning fuels that contain sulfur. It causes eye irritation and increases the likelihood of lung infections.
Chemical water pollution, although maybe not as pervasive as air pollution, also is a significant problem
3,4 particularly for drinking water:
•
Lead, often caused by plumbing systems, is toxic even at low concentrations. It causes brain and nervous system damage, slowed growth and development, as well as behavior, learning, speech and hearing problems. It also causes long-term high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues and kidney damage. Pregnant women exposed to high levels of lead can suffer miscarriage and stillbirth.
•
Mercury pollution is caused by mining, burning coal and incinerating waste, with exposures caused by eating contaminated fish. Mercury may cause irritation to the eyes and skin, and chest pain, difficulty breathing, insomnia, irritability, headache, weakness and exhaustion.
•
Chlorine originates most commonly by water treatment disinfection and can be absorbed through the skin. Exposure can cause reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a type of asthma. Chronic exposure may corrode teeth.
•
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from construction materials, common household cleaning agents, oil and gas industrial processes and dry cleaning. They cause fatigue, nausea, dizziness and allergic skin reactions, such as rashes or hives.
•
Pesticides
5 are a large group of chemicals formulated to protect crops and sometimes humans directly from insects and/or microbes. Some, such as carbamates and organophosphates, have been found to affect the human nervous system. Others may irritate the skin or eyes, while some are carcinogens.
•
Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is used to boost octane in gasoline, but its usage has been reduced markedly. Health effects from high levels of MTBE include nervous system effects, throat irritation and kidney and liver effects, including cancer.
•
Pharmaceuticals from improper disposal of medications may contribute to antibiotic resistance.
It also is worth noting that poor sanitation results in microbial contamination of water and can transmit diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, polio and hepatitis A. Over 800,000 people globally die annually from diarrhea alone.
Clearly there is not an easy solution to pollution.
REFERENCES
1.
Smolenski, D. (2023), “Pollution,” TLT,
79 (10), p. 96. Available
here.
2.
“Health effects of air pollution,” Environmental Defense Fund, available
here.
3.
Environmental Working Group,
www.ewg.org.
4.
World Health Organization, available
here.
5.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
www.epa.gov.
Don Smolenski is president of his own consultancy, Strategic Management of Oil, LLC, in St. Clair Shores, Mich. You can reach him at donald.smolenski@gmail.com.