Impact of Pollution on Environment and Health Dr.B.Suresh Lal- (Inventi-ewe5).pdf

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Inventi Rapid: Water & Environment Vol. 1, Issue 2 2010ewe005, CCC: $10 © Inventi Journals (P) Ltd

Published on Web 20/10/2010, www.inventi.in

INTRODUCTION

In environmental health research, focus hasbeen shifted from relatively simple to morecomplex issues. Empirical single agent – singleeffect studies have been supplemented byresearch on risks of complex environmentalexposures in varying economic, cultural andpolitical settings. Environmental health impactassessment has become a valuable tool fordecision support. These types of assessmentsincreasingly being used so-calledenvironmental burden of disease measures toexpress health impacts in terms of wage lossand treatment (1). This study focuses, So2, Co2& fly ash and bottom ash toxic substance etc,

emitted by thermal power plant (TPP) causesreducing the agricultural yield and growththus incurring huge losses in agriculturalproduction, GNP, decrease in the life span ofthe forests. The pollutants that enter the plantsin turn prove poisonous and detrimental toanimals and man when they consume it. Theanimals and human beings residing near thethermal plants are prone to various healthhazards when they inhale the air and drink thepolluted water (2). Various diseases affectthem, which ranges from mild intoxication to aloss of an organ, to the toxic effect on theirlives. Damages due to the pollutants aremostly done to the respiratory system andthrough the exposure of the human skin to the

pollutants. The pollutants also affect thedigestive system through the food taken andthe water drank. When the health of thehuman being is risked the productivity of thelabour is reduced. The production processsuffers a setback thereby reducing the

1Kakatiya University, Warangal, AP- India.

Email: [email protected]

*For correspondence

standard of living of the people. Wastewaterdischarged from plants and ash ponds reducesthe fertility of the soil and brings a fall in theagricultural production, vegetation, humanbeings, flora and fauna. Increased situationleads to frequent flooding theory indirectlyaffecting the lives and disrupting the normalcourse of events (3).

METHODS

Objectives

To analyze the importance of environment inpresent day scenario, To describe the pollutioneffects on ambient environment and To probein to the impact of pollution on the human

health and living condition.

Hypothesis

Industrialization cause pollution of drinkingand irrigation water and local people areeliminated from their lands involuntarily.People are deprived of pure environment,happy and peaceful life due to the functioningof TPPs. There is an overall degradation in theliving standards of the people due to differentpollutions surrounding the areas of TPPs.

Study Area & Statistics

The study was undertaken in winter 2008 inKundanpally village, of Godavarikhani inAndhra Pradesh, India in the vicinity of STPS

of NTPC thermal power plant. A multi-stagesample is adopted. Samples were collected byfilling up an environmental & health schedulefrom selected households in the study area. ATotal 300 sample households involved inagricultural laboring and toddy tapingoccupation were chosen at random with a careto see that the sample for each categoryrepresents the entire study areas. Statistical

tools used like cross tabulation, frequencycounts, averages, and measures of dispersion.

RESULTS

In the rural areas and village economies, castesystem has a strong holding even today. Thecaste is still playing an important role in

getting any opportunity that enables a personor a household to improve his or her status insocial, cultural, economic, political spheres oflife. Various welfare programmes which areexclusively meant for betterment of peoplebelonging to socially backward castes,scheduled castes and scheduled tribes too arenot free from influence and manipulation ofupper caste people. Naturally dominance ofupper caste people and their social influenceplay a key role in receiving compensation forland acquisition. Creamy jobs, house plots andother opportunities may be bagged by uppercaste people and lower caste people may bepushed back in race of getting betteropportunities. 67% of the respondents come

under above 50 years of age, this shows thatthey are aware of change in environment preand post thermal power plant given in table-1.

Education is most important factor thatimproves efficiency of a person in all aspects.Education helps a person to equip himself withall capabilities which are essential in day-to-day life in all spheres of life– social, economicaland political. Education improves skills,through which productive capacity of laborwill increase. It is essential for optimumutilization of opportunities that are within ourreach. 54.3 % of the respondents are illiteratesi.e., 163. The %ages of respondents who haveprimary and secondary education are 29.0 %and 14 % respectively. The number of

respondents who have higher education isonly 8 and their %age is just 2.7.

Expenditure patterns deals with howmuch is being spent on food items and howmuch on Non-food items- clothes, education,health, entertainment etc. Thus theexpenditure patterns of people show theirnutritional status, health, education status andalso socio-economic status and livingstandards. Changes in the income of the peoplechange the spending patterns of the people.67.7 % of the subjects having < 15,000/income. Nearly 33 % subjects having >20,000/ income annually. Thus majority ofrespondents are poor and have low livingstandards, see table1.

Environmental Issues Ground Water Pollution

Water is essential ingredient of life on theearth. Water is an essential and vitalcomponent for our life support system. Groundwater plays an important role in domesticwater supplies, agriculture and for industrialuse. In its natural form it is usually free frompathogens, color and turbidity and therefore,

Impact of Pollution on Environment and Health: An

Investigation

B. Suresh Lal1*

Abstracts: Since the dawn of the Industrial age there has been slow accretion of wastes on the

planet. These wastes are the by products in the production of Industrial goods. In contrast tonatural processes where everything gets transformed into some form or other within a certainperiod, these Industrial wastes left over have accumulated in the atmosphere, on the earth and inwater bodies. According to field study data focused that, public health steadily declined due toconsumption of water polluted by effluents. Residents of the village suffer from epilepsy,respiratory diseases, skin and throat problem, glaucoma, paraplegia, jaundice, typhoid, diarrhea,joint pains and cancer. Women and children are the most affected. In some cases even thepregnancy is affected. Also the total land became barren/ damaged is 266 acres belonging to 177farmers, along with agricultural equipment loss. Nearly 100 families were lost their occupationi.e. toddy tapping, about 322 animals were died of consumption of polluted water.Industrialization, contrary to belief, has resulted in unemployment. Pollution has displacedseveral traditional families and professions. Thus, industrialization had deprived the rural peopleof the drinking water facilities which they were having earlier and it had also caused a change inthe source of irrigation as most of them who were depending on tanks and steam water forirrigation.

Key Words: Thermal plants, diseases, environment, water and air borne diseases and economy.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



RESEARCH ARTICLE



can be consumed directly without treatment.Ground water is particularly important as itmeets about 88 % of drinking water needs inrural areas, where the population is widelydispersed and the infrastructure needed fortreatment and transportation of surface waterdoes not exist. Ground water badly needed inagriculture, both for irrigated and rainfed drycrops.

But intensive use of ground water forirrigation and for a variety of industrialactivities is causing pollution. Water pollutionmeans degradation of water quality making itunsuitable or dangerous for human and animal

health, industry, agriculture fishing or otheractivities. The ash ponds, which have beenerected for the disposal of fly ash and bottomash in slurry form, are main sources of groundwater pollution in the study area. The groundwater in these areas has been polluted,became unfit for drinking and for otherdomestic and irrigation purposes. According totable-1, the main source of drinking water forall respondents was well source only prior tothe industry. But after industry, tap hasemerged as main source of drinking water. Thetap water supply is inadequate to meet eventhe drinking needs. Hence people are forced to

use contaminated ground water for domesticpurpose- drinking, bathing, washing vessels,cloths etc. Using of this contaminated water-making people fall prey to various water bornediseases. 99 % subjects are victims of severground water and the adverse impact ofground water pollution is on irrigation also.The majority subjects experience TPP causedwater and air pollutions. 3.7% are beingaffected by only water pollution and 94.7% areboth water and air pollution.

Air Pollution

Fig.1 Effect of Thermal Power Emissions

Air Pollution Water Pollution Soil Pollution

Human beings Livestock Occupation

Agriculture

Decrease

Yield

Decrease Size

of

Landholding

Change in

Cropping

Pattern

Loss of

Employment

(women work

force)

Decrease in

Income

Air, Water

Borne

Diseases

Increase

Medical

Death of

Cattle

Decrease in

Milk Yield,

Lactation

Period

Wage loss/

Income

Toddy

Tapping/

Thermal

Power Plant

Total Economic Loss

Illhealth

Debt Trap/

Poverty



RESEARCH ARTICLE



Air is essential for all living beings on theearth. Man has polluted the atmosphere soheavily that much of the population nowbreaths a mixture of highly toxic gases withevery lungful of air. Human body requiresapproximately 25 kg of air per day to sustain

its requirements of oxygen. As far as foodconsumption is concerned, it is estimated that1.5 kg of food is required per day per person.That means that a man inhales 15-20 timeshigher quantity of air than the quantity of foodintake (4).

The world health organization has definedair pollution as substances put it into air by theactivity of mankind in concentration sufficientto cause harmful effect to his health,vegetables, property or to interfere with theenjoyment of his property (5).

Table1:

Subject Frequency Percentage Total & %

Caste Composition of Respondents:

BCs (Backward Class)SCs (Scheduled Caste)STs (Scheduled Tribe)OCs (Upper Caste)

Age Composition:21-3031-4141-50> 50Educational Status:

IlliteracyPrimarySecondaryHigherIncome Particulars in Rs (p.a.)

Below- 1100012000-1500016000-20000Above 20000Source of Drinking Water:

Well (Pre-Industry)Tab (Post-Industry)Suffering from Type of Pollution

WaterWater & AirAllWater Borne Diseases:

JaundiceJoint painsTyphoidDiarrheaAll Air Borne Diseases:

Eye irritation & painLungs relatedThroat related

SkinAllSuffering from Type of Emissions:

Fly ashFly Ash & Solid wasteFly ash & sewage waterExpenditure on Medical Treatment in Rs (p.a):

<50006000-10000> 10000Source of Medical Treatment:

PrivateWage Losses Due To IllHealth in Rs(p.a):

<10001100-15001600-2000

No Losses

153299919

21285

201

16387428

811167825

300300

11284

5

2463349485

902111

10375

17178105

1389787

298

138887

67

51.09.7

33.06.3

.74.0

28.367.0

53.329.014.02.7

27.038.726.08.0

100100

3.794.71.6

8.021.011.331.328.0

30.07.03.7

34.325.0

5.759.335.0

46.032.329.0

99.3

46.029.32.3

22.3

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

300 (100)

298 (99.)

300 (100)

Source: Compiled from Field Study Data



RESEARCH ARTICLE



Emissions from the TPP are mainlyresponsible for air pollution in the study area.40-45% ash content coal is used in TPP. Theash so produced is disposed in the ash pondscausing severe air pollution in the vicinity ofash pond. This fly ash is getting air bornedisease even with mild breezes and spreading

in the residential areas near and around theash ponds. The subjects who are being affectedby fly ash is 5.7%, 59.3% are affected by fly ash& solid wastes and 35% are by fly ash andsewage water. The carry over of fly ash frompond is in the radius of three kilometers in thedirection of wind blows. The environmentalissues of most concern due to ash disposal inthese study areas are; a. Effect on groundwater- the ground water has completelybecome unfit for domestic and agriculture usesand 2. Wash out of ash disposal site- the ashdisposal sites and other agricultural lands nearthe ash ponds become unfit for cultivation andcattle grazing. Dry fly ash is readily lifted upeven due to small breezes during transport,

dumping, spreading and even in idleconditions due to least cohesive in solidparticles. The climate condition in the summerApril & May months temperatures exceed stateaverages and touches 50 degree C in studyareas. Air pollution due to ash ponds hasbecome perpetual problem for the peopleliving adjacent to ash pond, particularly insummer. Part of ash ponds become dry insummer and hot wind blows wrap up theneighbor hood villages with ash from ashponds. The disposal of utilized coalcombustion bi-products is also contaminatingsurface water bodies- tanks, streams and theriver Godavari. This is causing damage to fishand other aquatic organisms and made the

people vulnerable to various airbornediseases.

Health Issues

Water Borne Diseases.

The polluted water supplies are responsiblefor more human illness than any otherenvironmental influences. The state of healthof the people does not depend only on thenumber of doctors and hospitals, but also onclean environment. Nearly 80 % of world’s

diseases more so in developing world, can belinked with water (6). The entire study villagehas been badly affected by ground waterpollution and people are suffering fromvarious water borne diseases. Due to lack of

water for drinking and other domesticpurposes such as taking bath, washing clothes,vessels etc people are forced to usecontaminated water and victimized by waterborne diseases. The spread of various waterborne diseases in the study area are Diarrhoeais most common water borne disease, whichaffected 31% of subjects frequently. 28%subjects are suffering from jaundice, jointpains, typhoid and diarrhoea. The number of

the respondents who are suffering fromjaundice, joint pains, and typhoid are 24, 63and 34 respectively are given in the table-1.

Air Borne Diseases

Air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogenoxides, hydrocarbons, particulate matter etc

attack human health through respiratorysystem. Diseases like bronchitis, lung cancer,eye irritation and skin irritation etc are causedby air pollution. Table-1, gives details of airborne diseases, which are affecting the peoplein the TPP area of the study. The majority ofrespondents are suffering eye irritation andskin related diseases. They account for 64.3%.7% respondents are suffering from lungrelated diseases and 3.7% from throat relateddiseases (bronchitis). The air borne diseases,which are wide spread in these areas, are eyeirritation, skin diseases, lung related diseasesand throat related diseases. 25% of the totalrespondents are suffering from all thesediseases. These diseases which affect the

people in these areas led to severepsychological pressure on the families, whenthe main income earner of the family got thesediseases, it is resulting in the deterioration ofeconomic conditions of these families.

Medical Facilities

It is evident from the table-1 that 99.3 % ofrespondents are depending on private medicaland health services. People are compelled torely on private sector health care system forurgent and quality services, because shortageof health and medical facilities, inadequatesupply of medicines in government hospitals,unwillingness of doctors to work in rural areasare some of the obstacles for the rural people

to gain access to government medical andhealth services. Thus medical emergencyresults in economic disaster of poor families.

Figure-1: explains the how TPPs adverseimpact of emissions on the environment andhealth and economy. The emissions releasedfrom TPP in liquid, solid and gaseous formresult in air pollution and water pollution. Themain sources of air and water pollution in TPParea are chimney and ash pond. The ash pondis exclusively erected for dumping fly ash andbottom ash in slurry form. The water in ashpond polluted the ground water and the upperlayer of the ash in the pond get air borediseases with small wind blows and causesevere air pollution besides, the emissions

from stacks of the plant also cause airpollution. The water pollution caused soilpollution and adversely affected theagricultural and allied activities.

Economic Issues

Table-1 provides details on expenditures onmedical and health services incurred by therespondents. 78% subjects are spendingRupees. <10,000/ per annum on medical

treatment. Nearly 22% of respondents whoare spending in the >10,000 pa. It will astonishus if we compare this expenditure with theincome levels of the respondents. The numberof respondents who earn the income ofRupees. <11,000/- is 27%, and who earn therange of Rs.12000-15000 is 38.7%. It can be

understood from the above comparison thatthe majority respondents are spending morethan 60% of their income towards medical andhealth care needs compromising the otherbasic needs of the family. This showseconomic burden (onus) on the poorrespondents due to pollution related diseases.Further table explains the details of wage lossdue to illhealth of the respondents. 46% ofrespondents are suffering Rs.1000/- wage lossper annum due to ill health and 29.3% aresuffering losses in the range of Rs. 1100-1500.The cumulative %age of respondents who aresuffering losses is 77.7%. This explains theadverse impact of thermal power plantpollution on the ambient environment and

health problems, which end up in hugemedical expenditures and monetary wage loss.

Effect on Human Being

The air pollution and soil pollution adverselyaltered the human health. People were caughtwith various air borne and water bornediseases. The ill health of the people resultedin medical expenditure and wage loss. Thisamounts to total economic loss anddegradation in the living standards of people,which ultimately degrades HDI (7). Furtherpublic health steadily declined due toconsumption of water polluted by effluents.Residents of the village suffer from epilepsy,respiratory diseases, skin and throat problem,

glaucoma, jaundice, typhoid, diarrhea, jointpains and cancer. Women and children are themost affected. In some cases even thepregnancy is affected (8). Industrialization,contrary to belief, has resulted inunemployment. Pollution has displacedseveral traditional families and professions.Thus, industrialization had deprived the ruralpeople of the drinking water facilities whichthey were having earlier and it had also causeda change in the source of irrigation as most ofthem who were depending on tanks and steamwater for irrigation, are now depending on ashpond water and uncertain monsoon. In a waythis power station is creating pollution andneeds to be attended by the governmental

machinery (9).

Effect on Livestock Due to pollution, the livestock in the TPP areasgrazed contaminated grass, drank pollutedwater and die ultimately. The impact ofpollution on milky animals also very severe.Decreased in milk yielding and lactationperiod are the adverse impacts of pollution onmilky animals. The cattle deaths and decrease



RESEARCH ARTICLE



in milk yielding end up in economic loss to theowners of livestock.

Impact on Agriculture The adverse impact of pollution on agriculturecan be perceived in three ways. Firstly,pollution caused to decline in yielding.

Secondly, continuous use of contaminatedwater to irrigate fields caused lands to becomebarren-become unfit for cultivation. Thiscaused to decrease in the sizes of operationalholdings and thereby decline in employment,especially women work force lost employmentopportunities. Thirdly pollution also alteredthe cropping pattern. Some crops are verysensitive to the changes in the atmosphere andenvironment. The crops that are less resistantto negative changes in environment are notgrown. This resulted in replacing diversifiedcropping pattern with mono-cropping pattern.All these adverse impacts resulted in loss ofemployment, income, and wealth in the formof valuable lands of farmers. Impact of TPP

activity on environment, in Kundanapally ofGodavarikhani, resulted in localized problemsof air, water and land pollution. Within a spanof 15 years, local ground water potentialdepleted and was contaminated and thesurface water sources are totally polluted.TPPs are sources of pollution, of severalwatercourses and around 10 villages are beingaffected. An independent estimate puts thewastewater flow in Kundanpally at 10 millionliters of discharges effluents per day.Qualitatively, the characteristics of theseeffluents let into Ramagundam, Bhadripally

and Rajapur are quite alarming, they farexceed the suggested ranges for discharge intosurface waters. The study reveals that, thetotal land became barren/ damaged is 266acres belonging to 177 farmers, along withagricultural equipment loss. Nearly 100families were lost their occupation i.e. toddy

tapping, about 322 animals were died ofconsumption of polluted water.

CONCLUSIONS

The study fund overall impact of the thermalpower plants pollutions. Involuntarydisplacement, environmental degradationcaused hardships, and deprived therespondents of their natural living conditions,source of employment and income, livelihood,way of life. Losses of community life, facilities,assets, access to natural resources are theconsequences caused by thermal power plantsand their pollution. Community structure andsocial networks are broken and weakened.Cultural identity, traditional authority and the

attitudes of mutual co-operation and help arediminished. People’s value system, belief

system, customs and traditions weredestructed. Big buildings, electricity, dazzlinglight, water, sanitation, infrastructuralfacilities etc. are all being enjoyed by theproject authorities and employees and the richpeople of the locality. But on the other hand,the people who lost their lands in theacquisition, whose lands became barren, livein a state of misery. Poor infrastructure,sanitation problems, absence of hospitals orcostly corporate hospitals etc., are the

problems of the people (10). The promises ofthe jobs and agricultural lands in lieu of theland acquired are never fulfilled. Only fewdominant, influential persons of the area couldmanage to bag more benefits from thecompensation package, thus harming the poorland holders in the study area, see, Table-1

which is self explanatory.

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Epidemiology and Health Risk and ImpactAssessment. Environ Geochem Health, 31,PP.189-203, 2008

2.

Asian development Bank, Key Indicators ofDeveloping Asia and Pacific Countries: Economicand Development, Resource Center Manila,Vol.XXII, July 1991

3.

Tata Energy Research Institute, TERI, EnergyData Directory and Year book, 1990/1991, NewDelhi; 1992.

4.

EPA, Public Hearing to Consider Amendments tothe Ambient Air Quality Standards for ParticulateMatter and Sulfates. California EnvironmentalProtection Agency, Air Resources Board. El

Monte, CA, USA, 20025.

The World Health Report-1996.6. Tom Tietenberg, Environmental and Natural

Resource Economics, Pearson Education, 2004.7.

Lal B.Suresh, Environmental and EconomicImplication of Industrialization in Tribal Areas,Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, K.U, Warangal, 1998.

8.

Sharma. PD, Ecology and Environment, RastogiPublications, Meerut, 992.

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Smith KR, Corvalan CF, Kjellstrom T: How muchglobal ill health is attributable to environmentalfactors? Epidemiology, 10, PP.573-84, 1999

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