31-03-2015

DONORA AIR POLLUTION

DISASTER & ARSENIC
GROUNDWATER POLLUTION

DONORA AIR POLLUTION

DISASTER
Donora, located in Pennsylvania, is a small town rich in factories like steel
mills, zinc smelters and sulphuric acid plants.
On October 25th 1984 a four day smog occurred.
This was due to anticyclone conditions that gave rise to no air movement
and in turn temperature inversion had taken place.

Dr. S. Mohana Roopan

(The condition when the cold layer is trapped below the warm layer is called
temperature inversion).
Donora lies at the bottom of a valley with hills surrounding it on each side of
the river.

Due to accumulation of cold air (because of inversion) at the bottom of the

valley, fog was formed and was persistent for four days.
Moreover, the fog layer was so thick that it reflected all solar radiations
during the day so heat received was not sufficient enough to break this
inversion. And during night the upper layer would further cool and stabilize
the inversion.
The deadly pollutants emitted by the industries were trapped and
concentrated in the smog and remained there for 4 days.
Out of a population of 14,000; 6000 townsmen fell ill and 20 of them died.

31-03-2015

ARSENIC POLLUTION IN GROUND

WATER
West Bengal and Bangladesh are heavily contaminated by the toxic
element Arsenic.
In West Bengal (1978) and Bangladesh (1993) it was found to be more
widespread than previously assumed.
Local people were found to be ingesting low doses of arsenic for 10-14
years.
This lead to Melanosis (white or black spots mottle the skin) which ultimately
evolved in Leprosy that would rot into ulcers.
Long exposures led to bladder and lung cancer.

Children affected greater by arsenicosis. The affected people were socially

isolated, not allowed to attend schools and unable to marry and ultimately
lead to broken marriages.
According to WHO the maximum permissible levels are 10mg/L of arsenic.
In West Bengal 40 million out of 90 million are feared to have had exposure
due to the contaminated water.
Many districts in Kolkata lie in the Arsenic Risk Zone.
Arsenic eventually seeped into the ground water in the Ganga Delta.
Overuse of Arsenate and Copper Arsenite as pesticides (for summer paddy
and jute) are the major causes of this.
As a protective measure contaminated tubewells are painted red and safe
tubewells are painted green.

THANK YOU