tagged w/ Industrial Pollution
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Sperm quality significantly deteriorated and testicular cancers increased over recent years, a Finnish study says. The research suggests environmental reasons, particularly exposure to industrial chemicals, may be behind both trends.
A UK expert said chemicals may affect the development of male babies.
Finnish men were studied as they have previously been shown to have some of the highest sperm counts in the world.The researchers looked at three groups of men who reached the age 19 between 1998 and 2006. Men who were born in the late 1980s had lower sperm counts than those who were born in the beginning of the decade.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12634109Sperm quality significantly deteriorated and testicular cancers increased over recent... more
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Air pollution: The silent killer
Air pollution: Silent killer in the city
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
November 16, 2010 8:53 a.m. EST
How to protect yourself from polluted air
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Air pollution can raise the risk of lung and heart problems, Dr. Gupta says
* Urban pollution kills more than a million people annually, according to U.N. figures
* Cities around the world are trying out solutions to tackle the problem
Kobe, Japan (CNN) -- For the last several days, I have been in beautiful Kobe, Japan, reporting about the World Health Organization forum on urbanization and health.
Given that more than half the world's population now lives in cities, with the number expected to increase significantly, the implications on individual health are becoming pretty clear. A lot of the discussion here has been specifically on the quality of the air we breathe, and the news has not been great.
For starters, an Environmental Protection Agency report found the air in many cities is simply too dirty to breathe. Think about that: as things stand now, toxic pollution has become a particular disease of the world's urbanites, affecting more than a billion of its citizens.
And, if you look more closely at the impact of pollution, you see more than half the burden on human health is on people in developing countries already crippled with poverty and few resources.
As things stand now, toxic pollution has become a particular disease of the world's urbanites.
--Dr. Sanjay Gupta
For example, here in Kobe, there is an obvious marriage between the industrial sector filled with at least 15 large factories, and residential areas close by. Walking around the city, you quickly see the consequences of explosive urban growth. The combination of factory emissions with exhaust from trucks, buses and automobiles is proving toxic to human health.
Today, urban pollution kills a million people a year, according to the United Nations. And, conventional wisdom was that it took a long time to develop health problems associated with pollution, but it is simply not the case. A study published in 2007 found that on days when pollution is high, cities see spikes in emergency room visits over the next 24 hours. Just one day.
If you live in a city, chances are you might not even notice just how polluted the air has become. Turns out that within four days of breathing the dirty air in, your body sort of becomes accustomed to it, despite the fact that your airways becomes more inflamed and restricted, and your risk of lung and heart problems start to rise.
The good news is that fixes are being tested in many cities around the world. In Shanghai, coal-free downtown areas have been established, which has already resulted in lower particulate matter. In New York City, there is a ban on idling trucks and buses. And in Bogota, transport management policies have led to increased use of mass transit.
Having spent time in many major cities on every continent in the world, it is safe to say "urbanization" is here to stay. As individuals and as societies, however, it is up to us to try to make the beautiful city we live in a safer and healthier one.Air pollution: The silent killer
Air pollution: Silent killer in the city
By Dr.... more
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A stiffer city ordinance in Elkhart may be "music" to some people's ears.
Monday night the Elkhart city council passed a tougher noise ordinance. Police will now be able to write tickets with stiffer fines and if they hear a loud noise within 35 feet unlike 50 feet in the past. Mayor Moore says it is part of a pledge he made when he first took office to make the city cleaner and quieter.
"If you are half a block away and you can hear it.. then that's further than 50 or 35 feet.. that's when you usually stop them," Corporal Frank Owens from the Elkhart Police Department. "We've written more tickets for noise the first 6 months of this year than we did all of last year. We kind of dropped the ball on it and it's time to get it taken care of," says Mayor Dick Moore of Elkhart.
The Elkhart police officer in charge of the noise ordinance was once part of the I.C.E. unit or county drug task force. But the city no longer participates in the unit. So the officer has been re-assigned.
Fines start at 250-dollars and go up to 25-hundred dollars.
The ordinance goes into effect once the mayor signs it.
Reporter: Stephanie Stang
Email Address: stephanie.stang@wndu.com
http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/24081324.htmlA stiffer city ordinance in Elkhart may be "music" to some people's... more
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How Far Can You Go for Money?
Whirly-Wind Leaf Blower
In the spirit of fun and safe play, John Deere licensed its brand to a toy company to produce leaf blowers for children. It actually blows air.
Safety and Health Concerns
Leaf blowers are not merely an ear-sore, they blow particulate matter consisting of pesticides, fertilizers, spores, molds, dust, insects and fecal matter into the air. Gas powered leaf blowers burn a mixed combination of gas and oil fuel that create a tremendous amount of toxic exhaust.
Young children are at risk because their immune system is not yet fully developed and they are more susceptible to asthma. Elderly people exposed to airborne contaminants can experience severe lung and respiratory problems. Ironically, leaf blower operators are putting themselves at greater risk because of the direct exposure to airborne pollutants.
Gas powered landscaping equipment account for 5% of air pollution overall in the United States. An inefficient 3.5-horsepower gas mower emits the same amount of hydrocarbons in one hour as does an automobile driven over 300 miles. A chainsaw operated for two hours produces enough hydrocarbons equivalent to an automobile driven 3,000 miles.
http://www.noiseoff.org/landscaping.shtmlHow Far Can You Go for Money?
Whirly-Wind Leaf Blower
In the spirit of fun and... more
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