Pollution takes toll on Metro residents

Urbanization and worsening air pollution have taken their toll on the health of Metro Manila residents, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported yesterday.

A recent study by the DENR showed increasing incidences of asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory ailments as people inhale toxic pollutants in the air such as lead, mercury and carbon monoxide.

The DENR study, released by Environmental Management Bureau Director Julian Amador, showed that the respondents in the survey mentioned asthma or difficulty in breathing as the most frequent respiratory ailment, followed by ordinary cough and pneumonia.

Amador, who is also project director of the Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program, said the findings are contained in a paper entitled "Baseline Health Profile of Communities Located in the Metro Manila Airshed."

The study also showed the presence of fine particles such as lead, mercury, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the air, which are inhaled and deposited in the lungs. These particles are usually the by-products of coal-fired power plants.

Despite the fact that a third of the power now generated in the country comes from natural gas, the energy sector — which relies on fossil fuels such as coal — is expected to remain a main source of toxic fume emissions.

Among these power sources are the six coal-fired plants operated by the National Power Corp. (Napocor), which generate some 3,800 megawatts of electricity. These are the 1,200-megawatt plant in Sual, Pangasinan; the 440-megawatt plant in Mauban, Quezon; the 700-megawatt plan in Pagbilao, Quezon; the 700-megawatt plant in Oyon, Zambales; the 600-megawatt plant in Calaca, Batangas and the 105-megawatt Naga Coal in the Visayas.

In August last year, the environmental group Greenpeace released a report warning the public about the mercury emissions by coal-fired plant, based on fly ash samples taken from the Calaca plants.

The government’s study itself detected mercury in all of its sampling stations in amounts far greater than those detected by Greenpeace.

Mercury, which can travel over 600 miles, is extremely toxic – exposure to this substance could cause severe brain damage in developing fetuses, tremors, mental disorders and even death.

The DENR’s findings show that average hourly levels of particulate matter of 10 microns in diameter could be the cause of the unhealthy conditions among children, the elderly and those already suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases.

These disturbing results could be the reason why Manila is the third most polluted city in the world, next only to Mexico and Shanghai.

The DENR study recommended that the Department of Health develop a public awareness program that will inform the public on how to avoid exposure to indoor air pollutants, with the local government units initiating similar projects at their level.