Congratulate yourselves all who fronted the Gazette/Horn Lane Industrial Zone picture shoot today.
Well done, and in such nippy weather too!"From little acorns.........."And just to freak you out a bit more Dear Readers, here is a copy of Dee Cook's posting from the other thread on what PM10 particles do to you and your children ...... enjoy? ----------------------------------------------------------------------Topic: 307 Horn Lane Waste Transfer Station Posted by: Dee Cook Date/Time: 09/03/10 14:10:00 This transfer station gives out PM10 particles (which are of concern to local residents) into the air. Not being an expert in such things, a quick google produced the following (do we have any Environmental Health Experts out there who can elaborate). My concern is that these PM10 particles are being blown down the hill, right over the Poets Corner area of Acton. Smell the biscuits ??The problem with this site is that you can't see what's going on behind the small entrance - it is shielded by very tall fencing.Health effects:-Air pollution measurement station in Emden, Germany Particulate matter rupturing, blocking and/or passing through alveoli, leading to cancer, alzheimers, atherosclerosis and permanent declines in lung capacityThe effects of inhaling particulate matter have been widely studied in humans and animals and include asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular issues, and premature death. The size of the particle is a main determinant of where in the respiratory tract the particle will come to rest when inhaled. Because of the size of the particle, they can penetrate the deepest part of the lungs.[5] Larger particles are generally filtered in the nose and throat and do not cause problems, but particulate matter smaller than about 10 micrometers, referred to as PM10, can settle in the bronchi and lungs and cause health problems. The 10 micrometer size does not represent a strict boundary between respirable and non-respirable particles, but has been agreed upon for monitoring of airborne particulate matter by most regulatory agencies. Similarly, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, PM2.5, tend to penetrate into the gas exchange regions of the lung, and very small particles (< 100 nanometers) may pass through the lungs to affect other organs. In particular, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that PM2.5 leads to high plaque deposits in arteries, causing vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis — a hardening of the arteries that reduces elasticity, which can lead to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems [6]. Researchers suggest that even short-term exposure at elevated concentrations could significantly contribute to heart disease.Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have conducted the largest nationwide study on the acute health effects of coarse particle pollution. Coarse particles are airborne pollutants that fall between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter.[7] The study, published in the May 14, 2008, edition of JAMA, found evidence of an association with hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases but no evidence of an association with the number of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases. After taking into account fine particle levels, the association with coarse particles remained but was no longer statistically significant.The smallest particles, less than 100 nanometers (nanoparticles), may be even more damaging to the cardiovascular system.[8] There is evidence that particles smaller than 100 nanometers can pass through cell membranes and migrate into other organs, including the brain. It has been suggested that particulate matter can cause similar brain damage as that found in Alzheimer patients. Particles emitted from modern diesel engines (commonly referred to as Diesel Particulate Matter, or DPM) are typically in the size range of 100 nanometers (0.1 micrometer). In addition, these soot particles also carry carcinogenic components like benzopyrenes adsorbed on their surface. It is becoming increasingly clear that the legislative limits for engines, which are in terms of emitted mass, are not a proper measure of the health hazard. One particle of 10 µm diameter has approximately the same mass as 1 million particles of 100 nm diameter, but it is clearly much less hazardous, as it probably never enters the human body — and if it does, it is quickly removed. Proposals for new regulations exist in some countries, with suggestions to limit the particle surface area or the particle number.A further complexity that is not entirely documented is how the shape of PM can affect health. Of course the dangerous feathery shape of asbestos is widely recognised to lodge itself in the lungs with often dire consequences. Geometrically angular shapes have more surface area than rounder shapes, which in turn affects the binding capacity of the particle to other, possibly more dangerous substances.The large number of deaths and other health problems associated with particulate pollution was first demonstrated in the early 1970s [9] and has been reproduced many times since. PM pollution is estimated to cause 22,000-52,000 deaths per year in the United States (from 2000)[10] and 200,000 deaths per year in Europe. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rosco White ● 6037d2 Comments ● 6037d