Episoeds of air pollution

Air pollution and control
episodes of air pollution
Meuse valley air pollution disaster
Great smog of London
Bhopal gas tragedy

1. Air Pollution Disasters and Accidents Ravi Kumar GARRE

2. Contents covered Air Pollution Disasters Meuse Valley (Belgium), 1930 Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948 London, 1952 Air Pollution Accidents Poza Rica (Mexico), 1950 Seveso (Italy), 1976 Bhopal (India), 1984

3. Meuse Valley (Belgium), 1930

4. The 1930 Meuse Valley fog killed 60 people in Belgium due to a combination of industrial air pollution   and climatic conditions in December that year. This is the first major episode. The city had several industrial plants including steel plants including steel works, sulphuric acid plants, glass factories, zinc works and fertilizer plant.

5. Beginning from Dec-1, 1930, in winter for five days, the accumulation of fog, smoke, oxides of sulphur and other aerosols from industries accumulated together. As a result of this, many people got ill with symptoms like cough, throat irritation, shortening of breath and vomiting. Not only people, cattle, birds an even rats were died.

6. Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948 The 1948, Donora smog was an historical smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems of 6,000 people. Donora lies in a horse shoe valley of the Monongahela river near Pittsburgh. Its population was 14,000. The major industrial plants were steel mills, zinc plant, sulphuric acid plant, etc.

7. Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948

8. Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948

9. Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948 From 26 th , October-1948 to next five days, the smoke, pollutants like sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid, aerosols, particulates have combined together and accumulated in atmosphere. This resulted in the death of 20 people and 43% of people became ill. The symptoms of illness were irritations of eye, nose and throat, cough, respiratory problems, vomiting and headache.

10. Donora (Pennsylvania, USA), 1948

11. London smog, 1952

12. London smog, 1952 The great smog of London, 1952 was a severe air pollution episode that affected London in the month of December and caused 4000 deaths. London situated on the bank of river Thames. The city used large quantity of coal for domestic heating, thermal power plants for electricity generation. And contains several number industries which generates pollutants contains high concentrations of sulphur oxides and smoke.

13. London smog, 1952 4 th to 8 th December, 1952, due to windless conditions for the five days, the pollutants like oxides of sulphur, smoke were combined with fog and accumulated over city. And causes almost zero visibility. Within two days people became ill. During the five days 4,000 deaths happened. The ill symptoms were: irritations of eye, nose and throat, cough, respiratory problems, vomiting and headache.

14. London smog, 1952

15. Poza Rico (Mexico), 1950

16. Poza Rica (Mexico), 1950 Poza Rica is a town in Mexico known for its oil refining and gas production business. On November 24, 1950, there was an accidental release of Hydrogen sulphide gas from oil refining industry. This leads 22 people dead and more than 300 people suffering from typical poisonousness symptoms of loss of sense of smell, cough, irritation and headache.

17. Poza Rica (Mexico), 1950 People of all ages were affected. The escaped/ released H2S (hydrogen sulphide) gas spread all over the atmosphere and be retained there for a longer period of time over a population.

18. Seveso (Italy), 1976 An extremely serious accident occurred in 1976 in a small chemical plant located near Milan. It is known as “ Seveso disaster”, because Seveso was the most affected community. The industrial plant was owned by the company ICMESA ( Industrie chemiche meda societa azionaria ), and it is a pesticide manufacturing factory.

19. Seveso (Italy), 1976 When an explosion took place in the factory, resulting in release of a white cloud of gas highly poisonous, containing TCDD ( Trichloro dibenzo dioxine ). The dioxines are highly poisonous to organisms. 6 tonnes of chemical spread over an area of 18sq.km.

20. Seveso (Italy), 1976 It shown high effect on pregnant women. Due to this accident, 3,300 animals were died, 26 women got abortion. 447 people were showing skin chlorance .

21. Bhopal (India), 1984

22. Bhopal (India), 1984

23. Bhopal (India), 1984

24. Bhopal (India), 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy considered as worst industrial disaster in the history of mankind. on 3 rd December-1984, 40 tonnes of MIC (methyl isocyanate) was released from Union carbide India ltd., a multi national company based on USA. The gas was spread over 250 sq.km. As per records 4000 people were died. 2,00,000 people were seriously affected.

25. Bhopal (India), 1984 Their woes to temporary blindness to permanent disability. Thousands of cattle was died. The gas spoiled the soil, water and life.

26. Bhopal (India), 1984

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