The Pros And Cons Of PX Plant Controversy

In Shreveport, LA, many residents suffer from respiratory issues that they believe are caused by the local refinery, Calumet (Moskowitz). Residents have suffered for generations losing family members to cancer that they believe is brought on by pollution that the refinery emits. Some residents suffer lesser but chronic health issues ranging from minor respiratory issues like asthma to blood clots in their lungs. “Calumet denies that its refinery is the cause of any of these health issues” (Moskowitz). Many chemicals that are released by refineries can cause respiratory problems, cancer, nerve damage, and in some cases even death. There is no absolute way to be sure that all health problems happening near Calumet are caused by the pollution that it emits, but it could be a contributing factor in worsening symptoms. A resident of Marrero, LA, a town south of Norco refining, stated that they could not leave their house due to excess levels of pollution triggering asthma attacks (Ludwig). Sulfur dioxide is a known chemical that can trigger asthma attacks, it is also one of the many harmful chemicals that can be released by refineries (Sturgis). Refineries will measure levels of emissions when there is a chemical spill, so they know almost exactly how much pollution they have emitted. Minor incidents are not always reported or are under reported, but they can have the same damaging effects on the environment and the overall health of the community (Sturgis). “LABB’s reports confirms what workers and residents have known for years-petrochemical companies to often skirt the laws for reporting serious incidents”

In this Preliminary Public Health Assessment (Pre-PHA), we evaluated exposure of the Milneburge neighborhood community to contaminants in response to their public health complaint with the City of New Orleans. . The homeowners in the neighborhood started to complain of nausea, headache, and dyspnea when they work in their back yards and reported water runoff and soil erosion from the waste management site. So, they were really concerned about their children health because they used to play in the area. As a result of that, we evaluated some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds found in nature or released from burning of coal, oil, tobacco, and wood. Some of these compounds are toxic to lung, liver, and skin. By such Pre-PHA, We can know if the site is extremely contaminated or not and we can assure residents and give them answers about their concerns.

Ambient air in urban, rural, and industrial areas contains an array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They spread in the air as gases from some solids or liquid materials. Society and environment are directly healthy affected in short- and long-term by VOCs at trace level concentrations (2). Air pollutants toxic are class of chemicals that may consider health problems in a significant way. There are many chemical pollutants released into the ambient air from various sources, such as power plants, and spraying pesticides. There are two types of air pollutants that are primary pollutants, which are emitted directly into the air from pollution sources, and secondary pollutants, which are from primary pollutants, but after they passing from many of the chemical changes in the atmosphere (12). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has compiled a list of 187 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). There are 30 HAPs threaten health dramatically in metropolitan areas, such as benzene, 1,3-dichloropropene, 1,3-butadiene, and chloroform that are classified as toxins (3). In accordance with the 2007 Environmental Pollution, VOCs affect adversely on health and cause many diseases, such as immune and neurological damage, cardiovascular diseases, and reproductive and endocrine disorders (8). Several methods have developed for the

Moreover, acute health effects were observed at levels common in many us cites such as Los Angeles, as well as, below current U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Overall these studies shown respiratory effect increase parallel with pollution levels, with a near linear dose-response

The quantitative estimation of carcinogenic risk from inhalation exposure or inhalation unit risk (IUR) is a plausible upper bound on the estimate of risk per unit of concentration, per µg/m3 air breathed. The adult-based IUR estimate is 4.1×10-6 per µg/m3. The available data for TCE are not sufficient to develop separate risk estimates for childhood exposure.

Currently, there is no data to conclusively show what specific cancer they are at the highest risk of developing. Many studies clearly show that exposure to TCDD is directly related to the development of chloroacne disease. Follow-up studies on residential populations exposed to TCDD show a significant increase in COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, deaths (ATSD, 1998, p. 28). It is not clear whether or not stress induced through experiencing an environmental disaster could have had an effect in contributing to these deaths. It has been proposed that TCDD inhibits the body’s normal reaction to respiratory infections, compounding the effects of pre-existing COPD. Additionally, there is conflicting evidence regarding whether or not acute exposure to CDD results in immediately evidenced irritation in the upper respiratory

Humans exposed to PCBs run the risk of many health c o m p l i c a t i o n s i n c l u d i n g a d v e r s e s k i n a n d l i v e r d a m a g e . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h Agency on Cancer, studies have found that PCBs are a definite carcinogen in humans and can cause cancer in animals as well ( IRAC Monographs, 2013). Individuals most at risk of PCB exposure are the employees who work in industrial settings. Studies have shown that mothers who worked with PCBs in factories gave birth to infants with lower birth weights and resulted in an increased number of premature births (PCBs and Human Health,

This is a photograph of a factory in the outskirts of Beijing. Unfortunately, this is where many of the blue collar factory workers also live, so they are exposed to the toxic smoke almost 24 hours a day. Not only the blue collar workers are affected; about one percent of the Beijing population actually lives in areas that have “clean air” according to a standard set by the European Union (Kahn). The photographer who took this picture chose the right subjects. One of the silhouettes appears to be coughing, and in a more gruesome gallery, Lu Guang documents people that have been affected by toxins, both in air and water, in a polluted China.

A recent study found that an average 1.6 million people die every year in China because of the growing smog and manmade air pollution that clouds over the country. While global warming and reducing our carbon footprint has become an almost world wide effort, China has been one of the main countries associated with pollution especially air pollution or smog. A research team based out of California discovered that a majority of people in China are breathing unhealthy air because of the pollution mainly due to China's coal factories. The smog has also been related to diseases such as cancer which has killed tens of thousands of Chinese people. Even with the evidence and studies conducted, the Chinese

In the absence of such studies, the EPA uses human data, but even human data connecting PCE to adverse health effects is scant. However, some of this human data suggests reproductive difficulties for women exposed to PCE in their workplace (Public Health Service, 2014). Testing on rats and rabbits exposed to PCE resulting in “increased pre- and post-implantation losses, decreased litter sizes, and decreased survival during lactation” (Public Health Service, 2014, p.

In chapter fourteen of our textbook, Environment: The Science Behind The Stories, it is made clear that the United States does not use the precautionary principle approach when it comes to evaluating how toxic a substance is (Withgott & Laposata, 2014, p. 382). This lack of precaution has proven to be dangerous when it comes to chemicals, especially when using polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are chemically engineered flame retardants used during the manufacturing process of clothing, bedding, and many other household goods. These flame retardants work by eliminating the fire’s oxygen supply, resulting in less damage to the item and a decrease in the chance of a larger fire (Hester & Harrison, 2013, p. 45). While PBDEs may have been necessary during a time when there were fewer fire regulations, it is clear that the negative effects of these flame retardants outweigh the benefits in today’s times.

“increasingly, children’s exposures to chemicals in the environment are understood to contribute to the causation and exacerbation of certain chronic, disabling diseases in children including asthma, cancer, birth defects, and neurobehavioral dysfunction,” (Landrigan). This displays that every child is exposed to chemicals in the environment and this causes them to have or develop many problems. This is certainly a safety hazard and should be stopped as soon as possible.

We know the effects it can have on a person and to the environment. The Chinese people every day inhale the contaminated air leading to respiratory issues and other health concerns. Since the pollution in China is so severe it had caused cancels in flights and off days for schools. Although, it has not yet to happen in the U.S. it is affecting us on a much smaller scale. When air from China travels to the U.S. it contaminates places such as black carbon can caused us much trouble. A study shown by the University of California, Irvine, and Davis (2014)

The follow up commentary on the statement in the report is not forgiving, but further explains that when tested on animals, cancer was sure. The results of the test confirm that application to skin will result in cancer, and that swallowing and inhalation is highly poisonous (EPA, 1986). Further studies done with animals proved that exposure to dichloropropene led to cancers affecting all organs of urinary, digestive and respiratory systems (EPA, 1986). Some people might discount the findings of these studies on animals because humans and animals might metabolize chemicals differently. However, the adverse effects on the animals are so severe that it cannot be denied that the pesticide is poisonous. The EPA reported in 1986 that workers (those who would apply the pesticide in the fields) may be exposed to dichloropropene in the range of 0.15 to 23.99 mg/year (EPA,

Polychlorinated Biphenyls, better known as PCBs, are stable, non-flammable, and heat resistant chemicals that were once used in electrical equipment all over the world ("PCBs," 2015). They were domestically made from 1929 until their ban in 1979 and since then they still remain a significant issue in the environment (“PCBs,” 2015). There is little information on why exactly they were initially created, but they were long used to prevent fires and explosions in electrical equipment. PCBs are very stable and considered an environmental hazard because of the amount of harm they are capable of doing. In humans and animals, PCBs have potential carcinogenic and neurological effects as well as harming the immune and reproductive systems.