“In the age of technology there is constant access to vast amounts of information. The basket overflows; people get overwhelmed; the eye of the storm is not so much what goes on in the world, it is the confusion of how to think, feel, digest, and react to what goes on.”
― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms
Monday, May 12, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Quote of the Day
"I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…"
~ J.K. Rowling
~ J.K. Rowling
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Air Pollution: Hazardous and Toxic Substances
My upper Midwestern home may not be the cleanest city in the world
when it comes to environmental health issues, but it certainly could be
considered one of the cleanest cities in the upper Midwest. Researching heavy metal toxicity and
hazardous substance health issues for my current environmental health course did not readily turn up anything outstanding. Turning
to the Environmental Protection Agency’s “My Environment” web page helped to
narrow down health risks. Under the My
Health section is a list of the most common found hazardous substances and
their environmental percentages; while Formaldehyde is number one on the list
it was not listed under the CERCLA priority list of hazardous substances (Friis,
2012) that was a requirement of the assignment, so; my choice was to focus on the
second most common hazardous substance in my community –Benzene.
Benzene is both a natural substance and a manmade
substance; highly flammable and slightly sweet smelling it is a colorless to light
yellow liquid when at room temperature that can evaporate easily into the
air. Naturally occurring Benzene is
found around volcanoes and during forest fires. Production of Benzene is mainly found as a
component in industries that make plastics, resins, dyes, synthetic fibers, and
pesticides and is ranked among the top twenty chemicals used in production in
the United States. Unfortunately in the
event of Benzene exposure there is no antidote for Benzene poisoning. The severity of Benzene poisoning is
dependent upon the quantity and length of exposure. Benzene exposure is dangerous due to how it
reacts in the human body. Benzene
attacks the cells in the body starting at the site of exposure and causes them
to stop working correctly. Blood cells are
the most susceptible to Benzene allowing for exposure to become systemic
causing issues with bone marrow production, a decrease in the number of red
blood cells, and a decrease in immune function.
These affects on the body can lead to anemia, prolonged bleeding time,
and cancers like leukemia.
Exposure to Benzene most often occurs through inhalation and
is found around gas stations, the emissions for motor vehicles, and industrial
complexes the biggest culprit of Benzene exposure comes from the inhalation of
cigarette smoke. Benzene levels can
often be found at higher levels more so indoors than outside. Indoor exposure to Benzene comes from the
glues and waxes used in furniture manufacturing, detergents, and paints. Because of its ease of exposure and toxicity
level, the Environmental Protection Agency has it listed “as a Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under
the National Emissions Standard Hazardous Air Pollutants section of its Clean
Air Act” (OSHA).
The Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) has strict guidelines for industry and workers
who handle Benzene on the job. Because
of Benzene’s ability to evaporate easily, job sites need to make precautions
available to prevent spills and splashes, provide employees with personal
protective equipment and respirators designed to protect against Benzene. Routine medical examinations of employees who
handle Benzene or work in areas with high concentration levels of Benzene are
recommended. For workplace preventative
exposure measures, employers are required by OSHA standards to provide personal
protective equipment from full body cover to air purifying respirators. The
respiratory protection standard for Benzene according to OSHA’s standard’s 29 CFR
1910.1028(g)(2)(i) and 29 CFR 1910-1028(g)(3)(i) state that “The employer must implement a
respiratory protection program in accordance with § 1910.134(b) through (d)
(except (d)(1)(iii), (d)(3)(iii)(b)(1) and (2)), and (f) through (m), which
covers each employee required by this section to use a respirator” (OSHA).
The health effects of
Benzene exposure are serious with its primary route of transmission occurring
through either inhalation or direct skin contact. Though Benzene is not readily absorbed
through the skin, there are instances that can speed up the process, such as;
open wounds and when in combination with other chemicals that are readily
absorbed. Health effects to the skin
include irritation at the sight and prolonged dermal exposure can cause drying,
scaling, and secondary infections.
Inhalation of Benzene when in high concentrations act as a stimulant to
the central nervous system and exposure is noted by changes in mood such as
nervous excitement, giddiness, periods of depression, drowsiness, and/or
fatigue. The individual may experience
sensations of tightness within the chest along with shortness of breath
followed by loss of consciousness. If the individual is not removed from the
area or if they experience a severe exposure their symptoms will progress to
tremors, convulsions, and respiratory paralysis which will ultimately result in
death within several hours from exposure.
Post exposure measures
are just as important as preventative measures.
Some measures are as simple as moving out of the exposure area
especially in the event of a Benzene leak.
Removing clothing that may have become contaminated with liquid Benzene,
cutting off those items of clothing that would require removal over the head so
as to avoid contaminating the exposed skin on the face and causing harm to the
eyes and nasal passages. Remove any
Benzene contamination to the skin with a thorough washing with lots of soap and
water, and rinsing eyes for a minimum of ten minutes if they are burning. Contaminated clothing and contacts (if worn)
need to be disposed of properly in a plastic bag using rubber gloves to avoid
further personal contamination. If an
individual is suspected of drinking or ingesting Benzene it is important that
they do not vomit and if they are unconscious not to do CPR, rather calling
paramedics is of the highest priority.
With Benzene such a
dangerous chemical, what actions are being taken to reduce exposure and
accumulation of Benzene particles in the air?
Through agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and laws
like the Clean Air Act, there are steps to reduce air toxicity and pollution
directed at some of the sources and causes for the reduction of Benzene levels
within the air we breathe. Benzene is
listed on the EPA’s list of mobile source air toxins for both on-road and
non-road vehicles/equipment. As of 2007,
the EPA has ruled that Benzene levels within gasoline and diesel need to be
reduced in order to reduce the amount of Benzene emitted in the form of
exhaust. Limiting or reducing one source
of Benzene from the air will greatly reduce exposure to the general populace. Minneapolis takes the EPA standard for
reduction of Benzene further with their anti-idling vehicle ordinance; limiting
the amount of time commercial and private vehicles can sit while simultaneously
saving fuel and reducing the Benzene levels in the air. This is important in that Minneapolis, like
most urban areas, can potentially have higher air toxin levels of many
different compounds that can be just as destructive to health as Benzene.
Reference:
Center for Disease
Control and Prevention. (2013). Emergency Preparedness and Response:
Environmental
Protection Agency. (2014). Overview: Pollutants and Programs: Mobile Source
Environmental
Protection Agency. (un). My Environment: 55417 zip code. epa.gov. Retrieved
Friis, R.H. (2012).
Essentials of Environmental Health (2nd edition). Chapter 6: CERCLA
Priority
List of Hazardous Substances; page 130.
Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Occupational Safety
& Health Administration. (un). Medical Surveillance Guidelines for
Benzene. Regulations (Standards -29 CFR). US Department of Labor. Retrieved from: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10045
Occupational Safety
& Health Administration. (un). OSHA
Standards. US
Occupational Safety
& Health Administration. (un).
Safety and Health Topics: Benzene. US
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