Govt agency in charge of monitoring air pollution reports 3x level of pollution post New Year compared to last year

Clean air, act

From Rappler by Pia Ranada




EMB of DENR, using PM (particulate matter ) 10 as a gauge (as mandated by Clean Air Act) for the said agency to monitor was up 3x compared to the same period last year.  While this did not look very visible, it is indeed alarming.   WHO monitors the PM 2.5, the much smaller particles, (they can enter the lungs, alveoli and the cardiovascular system causing not only respiratory disease but also cardio vascular diseases)  We have to amend the law so that DENR employs the new and more relevant health related monitoring.  We were fortunate though the sun shone brightly the following day, and there was light breeze, so the pollutants might have been blown over the ocean (where they could precipitate typhoons, and we did have typhoons lately hahaha)

Very bad air pollution in northern and easter China; school children ordered indoors

Air pollution kills

Repost from the Guardina | December 6, 2013

 

Shanghai exprienced its worst air pollution in years stopping construction work, obscuring visibility to a few dozen feet, forcing children to be held indoors.   The PM 2.5 level was at 602.5 micrograms vs the standard set by WHO to be at only 25 micrograms. This is 30 times more than the WHO standard.  There were fewer people walking on the street and fewer vehicles as the govt ordered the pulling out 30% of its vehicles from the street. The air pollution was characterized as yellow smog.  The city has 14 million population

Shanghai's air pollution was blamed on emissions from factories, vehicles, and changing weather patterns.

However, efforts are seen from Shanghai's public sector as sentiments from Chinas elite regarding air pollution is changing.  Before, having smog was seen as sign of industrialization  From PBS News

Will this happen in the Philippines as air temeperature gets lower, being December?

How is this air pollution going to afffect the Philippine?  The climate change?


 

November 1 2013 air pollution photo study

Air pollution kills

Rizal PHL  | November 1, 2013

Today we remember the day for the dead.  But we could be next soon if do not address the problem of air pollution.   We just learned from WHO IARC that air pollution, aside from causing heart disease is the cause of lung cancer.  Lung cancer does not have cure.

The number one cause still of lung cancer is smoking.  But we can get lung cancer even if we are non smoker because of air pollution.  But nobody seem to notice or care.  This site intends to call the attention of our environment and health protector to take note.  Do they notice this or pay attention?  This is for public consumption.

Therefore, we must take steps to abate air pollution.   How?  When?  Who?  Where?   We know now the why and what

                                      Burning rice straws in the field

                              Bonfires to burn leaves and trash are still very common and unabated

                                  Will flowers wilt if they smell air pollution

                                  Air pollution in front of public market in Angono, caused by tricycles

 x

                                          A jeepney dutifully fulfilling its mission of dirtying air

                                       Air pollution in Morong

                                      Another apostle of air pollution

                                      Another bonfire

                                     A tricyle does its share to make our day

                                          The boyish face of the mayor gets old from the smoke

Diesel Fumes are defintely carcinogenic - WHO

Reposted from Cancer Research UK | June 14, 2012  posted by Henry Scrowcroft

International Agency for Cancer Research a branch of WHO has declared cancer fumes to be  carcinogenic.  This is alarming for UK because of growth in number of diesel powered vehicles.  Many vehicles in Europe are diesel;  many cars do better with turbo diesel engines.  Audi and BMW make TD engines which are as fast and torquey as gasoline engine.

Professor David Philips explain two ways how diesel fumes contribute to formation of cancer.  When diesel burns in the engine, it releases PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

1.  PAH damage DNA of lung cells leading to cancer;

2.  Soot particles (PM 2.5) get embedded deep into lungs causing long term inflammation leading to cancer.

Compared to smoking,#  cancer caused by diesel fumes is smaller.

How about petrol engines?  They emit lesser finer particles compared t diesel and hence do not contribute much to cancer formation

Air Pollution is a silent and deadly killer

Air pollution kills

The recent posts made show that air pollution is a silent and deadly assassin.  From 2007, deaths attributed to air pollution grew from  2 million to 6 million as announced by WHO Department of Public Health and Environment    Deaths in China grew from mere 700,000 to 1,200,000 just last year.   And they have the highest concentration of PM 2.5, measured at 991 micrograms per cubic meter. (Considered safe max level is 25)

What is deadlier is the invisible particulate ie the PM 2.5 which 30x thinnner than human hair.  It is deadlier because it can easily lodge itself into the lungs, or the blood cells and be carried elsewhere in the body.  That is why in  a study in England, spike in heart attacks/deaths has been traced to high level of PM 2.5 in air pollutants in England


No wonder, there are more deaths attributed to air pollution than to aids or malaria combined. WHO director for Public Health and Environment  Maria Neira cited the death toll for AIDS, then considered as a scourge to be just l, 700,000 and malaria 660,000, in a Reuters interview (broadcast by GMA news) in 2010

Latest from ABC News/ 6 million premature deaths from Air Pollution

From Yahoo News/ ABC News  February 7, 2013



The latest stats from WHO as featured in Yahoo/ ABC News reports now that there are 6 million premature deaths attributed to air pollution.  It used to be just 2,000,000 a year in 2006.  It has now gone up 3x.  China alone contributes 1.2 million (up from 700,000 in 2007!)

This was told by Dr. Maria Neira Director of  Public Health and Environment in an interview with Christiane Amanpour of ABC News.

Air Pollution really kills;  what do we do then?

GMA newsreport airpollution deaths is more than caused by AIDS and Malaria combined 

So do we have air pollution as weapon of mass destruction in MM?

Status of Air Pollution in China; in 2007, Est 700,000 Chinese died from air pollution

From Facts and Details China | undated

There are many interesting facts on air pollution on China.   China uses plenty of coal, has many coal mines, has many coal mine fire.  Many cities are hidden from satellite pictures because of air pollution.  70 to 80% of power plants in China are run on coal power. China consumes $248 billion worth of coal annually or 7.1% of GDP

Many power plants are run on coal, and with the coming of cars, the cars also contributed to air pollution.

The solid particulate level in northern China are 20x the normal safe level. China is the leading source of sulfur dioxide and causes damage equivalent to 12% of the GDP.

An estimated 700,000 die annually from air pollution in China;   from indoor pollution it is estimated to be at 400,000. (WHO 2007)  That is a lot...

Air pollution hundreds of thousands in China annually

We hope the Chinese public sector and its health organizations are addressing this problem

Air Pollution Kills 2 million world wide prematurely annually

From NeinuclearNotes | 2006

As of the timeline mentioned, according to WHO, air pollution kills 2,000,000 annually prematurely!  WHO therefore urged nations to adhere strictly to pollution standards - to curb sulfur dioxide emissions and particulate matter (the solid in the pollutants that stick to your throat and lungs)

This would help reduce incidence of respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart diseases and other respiratory tract diseases.  The lessening of air pollution would cause lesser impact of climate change.

From Urban Research - Same results 

Diesel fumes are carcinogenic

From Cancer Research UK | June 2012

The WHO through  International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared diesel fumes to be carcinogenic. The science update blog has interviewed Dr David Philips on the announcement.

How does diesel fume cause cancer.?   It releases two particles that can cause cancer?

l.  PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) they can damage DNA of cells leading to cancer.

2.  Solid particles can cause inflammation and long term damage to lungs, and hasten multiplication of cancer cells.