Poison in the air (1)

Good morning everybody. We all know that clean air is very important in our body. It gives us healthy body when we inhale a clean air. By the information given by Atty. Romeo Pefianco, there are particles in the air that causes respiratory ailments. We should be all aware of that specially to all children.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the worst air pollution is undoubtedly in Asia. More than 1.5 million Asians die each year for the effects of air pollution alone, and another half million die from water pollution.

High levels in China and India

Anything over 100 micrograms of particles per cubic meter of air is considered dangerous. But in cities like Taiyuan, China and Delhi, India the levels routinely top 500 micrograms.

The danger is compounded by the fact that so many people in these areas cook indoors with coal briquettes. Particles in the air are a major cause of respiratory ailments in Asia; such ailments are a leading cause of death in China.

Not local but widespread

Although we tend to think of air pollution as a local problem, studies reported in 1995 demonstrate that there are widespread effects. It is reported that air pollution is so pervasive in industrial regions of northeastern North America, Central Europe and eastern Asia that it partly blocks sunlight, counteracting global warming with regional cooling.

Deadly pollutants

The basic law dealing with air pollution is the Clean air Act of 1990, which orders the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for air quality. EPA monitors air quality at about 3,000 sites for six air pollutants: (1) particular matter — soot and dust (2) sulfur dioxide (3) carbon monoxide (mostly from automobiles (4) nitrogen oxides (5)lead and 6) ozone.

Particulate matter (PM) is measured with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 micrometers down to 2.5 micrometers. This includes dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquid droplets directly emitted into the air from factories, power plant, cars, construction sites, fires, and natural erosion, as well as particles formed in the atmosphere by condensation or transformation of emitted gases such as sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds.

PM is responsible for most health problems like COPD, influenza, asthma and adverse effects in the lower regions of the respiratory tract.

Government Develops Technology to Fight Pollution

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has developed a technology which can address air pollution problems from gold and silver refining plants.DoST Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) Environment Division chief Dr. Christopher Silverio said they have developed the Wet and Dry Scrubbers for Gold and Silver Refining Plants. Scrubber systems are a diverse group of air pollution devices that could be used to remove some particulates and/or gases from individual exhaust streams.

A wet scrubber is used to clean air and other gases of various pollutants and dust particles while dry scrubbers are used to remove acid gases like sulfur dioxide primarily from combustion sources. The technology enables refining plants to control emissions, which is detriment to human health.

Prior to the local development of the said technology, residents near gold and silver refining plants, particularly in Bulacan, complains of pungent smell coming from refining plants, particularly from burning gold or silver. With the wet and dry scrubbers, refining plants may now have cleaner emissions art the scrubbers take off lead, nitric acid, copper and other impurities from producing gold and silver.