Environmental Studies

Module 5. Environmental pollution

Lesson 20
POLLUTION CASE STUDIES

20.1 London Smog Disaster

Smog has been part of London life. But the effect of the Great Smog of '52 was unprecedented. A period of cold weather, combined with an anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants (mostly from the use of coal), to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from Friday 5 to Tuesday 9 December 1952. It is considered the worst air pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom. Medical reports estimated that 4,000 people had died prematurely and 100,000 more were made ill because of the smog's effects on the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the number of fatalities was considerably greater at about 12,000.

The weather in November and early December 1952 had been very cold, with heavy snowfalls across the region. To warm homes, people burned coal in their homes. Also, it was primary fuel in industries. In normal conditions, smoke would rise into the atmosphere and disperse, but due to anticyclone, inversion was created, which pushed air downwards. As a result, smoke from the chimneys was trapped.

The fog finally cleared on December 9, but it had already taken a heavy toll.

A series of laws were brought in to avoid a repeat of the situation. This included the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968. These acts banned emissions of black smoke.

Fig. 20.1 Nelson column during Great Smog of 1952

20.2 Bhopal Gas Tragedy

Bhopal gas tragedy accounts for most infamous incidents of industrial pollutions. On December 3 1984, more than 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, immediately killing at least 3,800 people and causing significant morbidity and premature death for many thousands more. At around 1.00 AM, December 3, loud rumbling reverberated around the plant as a safety valve gave away, sending a plume of MIC gas into the early morning air. Within hours, air was full of toxic contents. Gas circulated through the blood streams of victims, carrying toxins and causing damage to the eyes, lungs, kidneys, liver, intestines, muscles, brain, reproductive and immune systems.

Soon Bhopal was full of corpse of humans and animals. Immediate loss was around 3800 human lives, with death toll increasing to 10000 in that week. As a result of aftermath, region has reported 15000 to 20000 premature deaths. These numbers can be assumed to be understated. In l985 the Indian Government sued Union Carbide for 3.3 billion dollars and in l989, case settled for a mere $470 million. This money, later deposited with RBI, has now swelled up to Rs 1,503 crore. UCC got away by paying a compensation of mere $470 million, although actual compensation was accounted to less than $10 billion as calculated by some agencies.

UCC ceased its operations at Bhopal plant, but did not take responsibility to clean the mess either. The plant continues to leak several toxic chemicals and heavy metals that have percolated into underground water. Reports suggest that underground water of the region still contain heavy metals even after around three decades. When it rains, especially in the monsoon season, rainwater washes these chemicals into puddles, streams and eventually into the ground water.

Despite the horror of “that night” and the chemical terror that its survivors have endured, the people of Bhopal continue their struggle for justice, for corporate accountability, and for their basic human right to an environment free of chemical poisons.

Fig. 20.2 Union Carbide MIC plant

20.3 Fukushima Disaster

On March 11, 2011, a powerful, 9.0 magnitude quake hit north-eastern Japan, triggering a tsunami with 10-meter-high waves that reached the U.S. west coast. It was triggered by an earthquake near Honshu off eastern coast of Japan. It was followed by horrors of tsunami, followed by after-shock of 6.7 magnitudes. Duel punch of earthquake and tsunami caused damage that led to explosions and partial meltdowns at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.

Three out of six reactors failed. Radiation levels from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant were reported as high as 1,000 mSv/h (milli sievert per hour). These were 20 times acceptable levels of nuclear radiations allowed in the US. The high levels of radiation in and around the plants hampered efforts to cool the reactors. The evacuation area around the plant was 20 kilometres (12.4 miles), while people living up to 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from the plant have been advised to stay indoors. Other countries were even more cautious. On 3 April 2011, two bodies were discovered in the basement turbine room most likely because the workers ran there during the tsunami.

It will take decades for complete clean-up of pollutants from this disaster. A permanent exclusion zone could end up stretching beyond the plant’s perimeter. Seriously exposed workers may be at increased risk of cancers for the rest of their lives. More importantly it hindered much needed rescue work for the victims of earthquake and tsunami required. Some of the areas in the temporary 19 km (12 miles) radius evacuation zone around Fukushima were found to be heavily contaminated with radio-nuclides According to a new reports released by the Japanese Ministry of Science and Education, the town of Okuma was reported as being over 25 times above the safe limit of 20 millesievers per year. Marine life around Japanese eastern coast will be adversely affected for years. Radionuclides in seawater were reported from the Fukushima plant's discharge canals, from coastal waters five to 10 kilometres south of the plant, and from 30 kilometres offshore, even months after the disaster. It can be expected that the marine dispersion of seawater tagged with radionuclides released from Fukushima will take years to reach other riparian Pacific countries. Although the immediate direct losses to life in this incident were less than other disasters the history has witnessed, long term hazards of this incident are immense.

Fig. 20.3 LEFT: Fumes coming out from three damaged nuclear reactors in Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. RIGHT: Evacuation Zone