Air and water problems mainly make headlines these days when extraordinary pulses of pollution surge in places like Beijing and Shanghai. But there are still enormous, if largely hidden, health and environmental costs in many parts of the United States that have failed to meet the goals set decades ago under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act (e.g., see Muller, Mendelsohn, Nordhaus, 2011). Sometimes the issue is visible. I visited Houston briefly this week and snapped the photo above on the airport approach. Not pretty. Read on for excerpts from two relevant articles. The first, from the Allegheny Front, explores how lessons learned in trying to cut pollution from natural gas facilities in Houston can be applied in Pennsylvania’s fracking zone. The second, by my Pace University colleague and longtime water analyst John Cronin, digs in on the gap between Environmental Protection Agency statements on water pollution and the results in America’s waterways. Here’s “Houston Air Pollution: Preview for Pennsylvania?” It’s the second article in a planned four-part series, “The Coming Chemical Boom,” that was in part paid for by the Fund for Investigative Journalism. ... |
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(c) 2010-2024 Jon L Gelman, All Rights Reserved.
Showing posts with label air pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label air pollution. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Updates on America's Persistent Air and Water Pollution Challenges
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Air pollution a leading cause of cancer - U.N. agency
Today's post was shared by RWJF PublicHealth and comes from www.reuters.com
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and is being officially classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organization's cancer agency said on Thursday.
Depending on the level of exposure in different parts of the world, the risk was found to be similar to that of breathing in second-hand tobacco smoke, Kurt Straif, head of the agency's section that ranks carcinogens, told reporters in Geneva. "Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants," deputy head Dana Loomis said in a statement. "The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution." Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases. Research suggests that exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world, particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialization, such as China. IARC reviewed thousands of studies on... |
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Thursday, October 17, 2013
Outdoor air pollution: a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths
The specialized cancer agency of the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans. The IARC evaluation concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer.
The specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced today that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
After thoroughly reviewing the latest available scientific literature, the world’s leading experts convened by the IARC Monographs Programme concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer (Group 1). They also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
Particulate matter, a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also
classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
The IARC evaluation showed an increasing risk of lung cancer with increasing levels of exposure to
particulate matter and air pollution. Although the composition of air pollution and levels of exposure can vary dramatically between locations, the conclusions of the Working Group apply to all regions of the world.
A major environmental health problem Air pollution is already known to increase risks for a wide range of diseases, such as respiratory and heart diseases. Studies indicate that in recent years exposure levels have increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrializing countries with large populations. The most recent data indicate that in 2010, 223 000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution.
The most widespread environmental carcinogen “The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Section. “We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.”
The IARC Monographs Programme, dubbed the “encyclopaedia of carcinogens”, provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures. In the past, the Programme evaluated many individual chemicals and specific mixtures that occur in outdoor air pollution. These included diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dusts. But this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer.
“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” explains Dr Dana Loomis, Deputy Head of the Monographs Section. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”
The specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced today that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
After thoroughly reviewing the latest available scientific literature, the world’s leading experts convened by the IARC Monographs Programme concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer (Group 1). They also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
Particulate matter, a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also
classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
The IARC evaluation showed an increasing risk of lung cancer with increasing levels of exposure to
particulate matter and air pollution. Although the composition of air pollution and levels of exposure can vary dramatically between locations, the conclusions of the Working Group apply to all regions of the world.
A major environmental health problem Air pollution is already known to increase risks for a wide range of diseases, such as respiratory and heart diseases. Studies indicate that in recent years exposure levels have increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrializing countries with large populations. The most recent data indicate that in 2010, 223 000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution.
The most widespread environmental carcinogen “The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Section. “We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.”
The IARC Monographs Programme, dubbed the “encyclopaedia of carcinogens”, provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures. In the past, the Programme evaluated many individual chemicals and specific mixtures that occur in outdoor air pollution. These included diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dusts. But this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer.
“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” explains Dr Dana Loomis, Deputy Head of the Monographs Section. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”
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- Probability of Cancer in Pulmonary Nodules Detected on First Screening CT (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Jury weighs talcum powder-cancer link (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- More than 1,100 have cancer after 9/11 (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Determinants of Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposure Among Stoneworkers Involved in Stone Restoration Work (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Air pollution as bad as asbestos, cigarettes as cause of cancer, says WHO (thestar.com)
Thursday, January 17, 2013
EPA Acts To Lower Toxic Old Diesel Engines in NY & NJ
Diesel engines are durable and often remain in use a long time. Older diesels that predate current and stricter air pollution standards emit large amounts of air pollutants. EPA grants such as those announced today are helping to reduce air pollution from some of the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.
“EPA grants to replace dirty diesel engines with cleaner models protect people’s health, create jobs and cut fuel costs,” said EPA Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck. “Older diesel engines generate significant amounts of air pollution that can make people sick. Replacing old polluting diesel engines reduces asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and many other health impacts every year.”
Conservation Law Foundation Ventures, a not-for-profit organization, will use a $1.3 million EPA grant to replace an old engine on the Coral Coast, a 120-foot marine tug boat that operates out of New York harbor, with a new and cleaner EPA-certified engine. The new engine is estimated to emit 70% less nitrogen oxides and 83% less particulate matter than the current engine. The project is expected to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 57.7 tons per year and particulate matter by 2.7 tons per year in addition to conserving 42,558 gallons of fuel annually.
The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management will use a $1.4 million EPA grant to replace two old engines on locomotives operating in northern New Jersey with new and cleaner engines. The trains will also be equipped with either an automatic engine stop/start system or an auxiliary power unit, which will reduce idling. The new engines are estimated to reduce nitrogen oxides by as much as 12.8 tons per year and particulate matter by as much as 0.3 tons in addition to conserving 14,000 gallons of fuel per year.
The EPA grants to groups in New York and New Jersey announced today are part of nearly $30 million in grant funds awarded by the agency nationwide in 2012 for clean diesel projects.
For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel and the Northeast Diesel Collaborative http://www.northeastdiesel.org.
Read more about "diesel" and workers' compensation
Workers' Compensation: Diesel Exhaust Linked to Cancer
Jun 13, 2012
After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), today classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to ...http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/
Jun 13, 2012
After a week-long meeting of international experts, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), today classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to ...http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/
Apr 30, 2009
Diesel exhaust continues to be a major health hazard for certain workers. The American Lung Association has reported that, "Truck drivers, dockworkers and railroad workers may face higher risk of death from lung cancer and ...
Mar 14, 2012
Metro-North also must post an OSHA notice for employees in the Harmon Diesel Shop and on its internal website, and provide all diesel shop employees with information on employee protections for reporting work-related ...http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/
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