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CHAPTER -1
INTRODUCTION
man and his environment is a major and growing problem. The very survival of
man as a ^ecie depends upon intelligent and moral human action with respect to
the changes wrought about are imperceptible and insidious while others are
blatantly obvious. What is beyond doubt is that society is altering the balance of a
relatively stable environment system by its actions. The ecology of life on the planet
Earth is being radically altered by man. From the medical point of view some of the
changes may be good, some may be harmful and others may well prove
catastrophic. That there is no precise view of the impact of the changes being
wrought in the balance of the great natural forces and of the new environment being
during the past few decades. The emergence of air pollution as a regional, or even
autonomy. Air pollution shares with all other tlireats to pubUc health and welfare
the certainty of becoming more and more severe as long as the population increase
associated activitiesrequiringit.
The four decades of progress have brought the average citizen a vote, a
national anthem, a fore, a bank account and a high opinion of himself but not the
capacity of life in high density witiiout defouling liis environment; nor a conviction
that such a capacity rather than such density is the true test of whether he is
human population. It not only threatens achievement of standard of living for the
present generation, but also is a threat for his continued existence. This would result
1992).
Environment and its related issues are gaining ground in the research field
recently. Literally "environment" refers to all a^)ects that people have in mind
when they talk of environmental crisis, i.e., the subjects of concern are the purity of
air and public waste, plentifiilness and vitality of natural landscape, fauna and flora
and the integrity of other natural features such as beaches. These may be precisely
termed as ecosphere the space shared by all living creatures. Man has been
tampering with tlie eco^here for a very long time and is now forced to recognize
4.
the fact that enviromnent consists of scarce and exliaustibleresources.(Karpagam,
1991)
abuse of those resources for profits and for satisfying liis greed. And after a great
deal of such damages and because it is expensive, he does httle to protect nature or
consequences of acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, green house gases,
widespread desertification and species loss, all at record rates within 2030 AD. As
such there is an urgency to protect and promote the interest of material and animal
1^
resources and of homosapiens, the species to which mankind belongs. (The Hindu,
1989).
forest area. Max Nicholoson (1970) has given numerous examples 6f the severe
North Africa, Lebanon, Spain, India and Mexico. Carter and Dale have reason to
feel that deforestation leads to the collapse of the Sinhalese civilization in Srilanka
^stem and natural resources has assumed massive proportions in many developing
Rapid population and economic growth also stimulate tlie demand for scarce
human resources. The substances enter the human body by absorption through the
skin or eyes, by means of injection or by inhaling dust or gas. Air pollutants enter
the body through respiratory system and may affect specific organs. Industries and
automobiles dxt the primary source of atmospheric pollution. Cities and sub-urbs
contain numerous industrial enterprises, which pollute the atmosphere and
do and will continue to affect life on this plant. The deleterious effects of various
pollutants on human, animal and plant life and on our climate have been
recognized. In the last few years, it has become increasingfy evident that pollution
is affecting vegetation at least to the same extent as it is affecting human and animal
tliereby affecting the growth, productivity and quality of the vegetation without
producing any visible damage and secondly by producing visible effects. (Zaka
Imam, 1975).
businessman and the farmer alike. It has also become a social problem, influencing
the pattern of land use, and the regional as well as local plans for development. It
western societies was more likely, on the balance, to reduce rather than increase
social welfere. Welfare economists today feel that welfare of individuals depended
not only on goods and services produced, but also on the pollution of the quality of
9
environment in which they live. (Anthony CFisher, 1981).
At the current stage of development in India, the basic minimum needs of the
people are: clean water for drinking and domestic use, clean air, health caie,
recreation and security. If not managed properly, providing most of these basic
pollution, fertilizer pollution and heavy metal pollution are some of the different
to
types of environmental pollution. (Black.J.A.,1977).
Pollution is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological
characteristics of our air, land and water tlial may or will liamifully affect human
life or that of desirable ^ecies, our industrial processes, hving conditions and
of our air, land and water that may or will harmfully affect human Itfe or that of
desirable species; industrial processes, hving conditions and cultural assets; or that
of the things we make, use of and throw away. Pollution increases not only because
as people multiply the space available to each person becomes smaller, but also
because the demands per person are continually increasing so that each grows away
more year by year. As the earth becomes more crowded there is no longer an
'away'. One person's trash basket is another's living spac^. (Resources and
Man, 1969).
advanced society, dispose of certain kinds of bye products and waste products
which when injected into the bio^here in quantities so great that they affect the
envirorunental pollution and destruction of ecosystem. The land we walk on, the air
we breathe in and the water we drink are slowly being polluted in the process of our
struggle for better living. Industrial effluents / emissions are the major source of
pollution (WH0,1977).
Some time accidental discharge of these effluents in large quantity can cause
acute poisoning of the surrounding areas resulting in large death tolls. In low dose
exposure the death may not be instantaneous but still it can cause major damage to
Sulphur acid forms much more easily in the atmosphere tlian expected, say
chemists in Britain. This suggests that the atmosphere may become acidic enough to
damage the environment even when the air is too dry for rain. (New Scientist,
1977).
8
the pollution problem. They point out that with more people there is more sewage,
more sohd wastes, and more fuel being burned, more fertilizers and insecticides
being used to produce more food for hungry mouths. But, there are others who liave
pointed out that in underdeveloped countries, pollution is not the severe problem as
dense. They feel that it is the wasteful aspects of our technology, which strive
always to produce more convenient products ("desirable" items), which pollute our
n
enviroiunent.
units. Receptor-source modeling and exposure assessment can help detennine the
IS
Severe air pollution affects human health and causes many fatal diseases in
men. For example, there occur lung diseases in workers exposed to occupational
hazards, such as black lung disease among coal miners who inhaled mine dust for
many years or asbestosis among pipe fitters and insulation workers, exposed to
airborne asbestos fibers. A variety of air pollutants have been found to cause many
recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the demand for photo films
manufacturing industries. Hence, analysing the present air quality of the industrial
areas is necessary for formulating strategy for control of air pollution. Air borne
particulates, like total suspended particulate matter, sulphur di-oxide and nitrogen
'20
di-oxide are the most basic and usefiil indications for tiie degree of air pollution.
(Rao.C.S.1991).
The possible health effects of air pollution have never enjoyed, such a high
profile as they have over the past few years. This has largely been fuelled by the
media and certain pressure groups, boQi of whom liave been responsible at times for
injudicious and inaccurate reporting of the true size of any health problem. Having
said that, there is Utfle doubt that the quaUty of the air we breathe is imperfect and
that it does indeed have determined health effects upon certain groups within the
population. But exactly how much can it affect our healfli and our chance of
at
developing certain diseases is not easy to say. (Ayres J.S,1996).
Industry-related water pollution is particularly concentrated during the dry
industrial pollution vary by medium (water, air, and solids), but are probably the
greatest in terms of water pollution impacts on fisheries. The public health impacts
10
of industrial pollution also vary by medium, but are significant across many forms
points from where the prevailing south west winds carry the pollutants over the
residential areas in the north and east direction, hi addition to industrial pollutants,
automobile exhaust emissions also contribute to the over all pollution levels. The
impact is more during the recent years. A close observation indicates a relatively
high concentration during pre-monsoon period. The residential area in and around
•2.3
the city shows appreciable level of Ph and Zn particularly in the industrial regions.
Ashutosh Dubey and R.Nath (1997) observe that land degradation is directly
related to air pollution. During excavation of mineral/coal, the fire dust and trace
elements such as Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn etc, are released in air. These fire dust
particles and trace elements deteriorate air quahty. When they are inhaled by living
community, they pose severe health problems and a number of chronic diseases,
S.Sadasivem, B.S.Negi and M.R.Menon (1996) studied the impact of fly ash
disposal over flow water, river water and ash pond slurry. The elemental
concentrations in slurry samples connected well with the samples collected from
11
inside the plant. It revealed that the addition to background concentrations due to
leaching from the ash pond was insignificant. The leachate exceeded the limits
specified in the standards for the drinking water, the cation exchange capacity and
the redox potential and PH of the fly ash. The CEC values a ranged from 15.1-30.9
Meg/Kog and were consistent with the clayey soil found at the ash pond site.
pollution. In the United States of America, Great Britain, France and many other
European countries, this problem has been investigated in detail and successful
attempts have been made to translate observable air pollution damage in terms of
economic impact. Air pollution damage to property covers a wide range corrosion
of metals, soiling and eroding of building surfaces, fading of dyed materials, rubber
interference with production and services. Another important economic effect of air
need to investigate and study this problem in detail and express the damage to
A number of toxic and non-toxic metals occur in the atmosphere. Wind and
rain release metals from the soils and rocks of earth's crust to rivers and seas.
Indusfrial activities discharge many of the metals into air, water and soil. Various
metals creating environmental hazard are essential dietary trace elements required
for growth and development of plants, animals and human beings. Most of the
12
metals are indestructible poisons to living organisms and are ubiquitous in the
carried over large distances by wind currents, and pollute even the environment of
areas far away from these industrial centers. Air pollutants can disrupt plant leaf
biochemical processes after absorption through the stomata or cuticle, and have
The exhaust from automobile is also another major source. The deposition of
lead and existence of lead salts, such as lead chloride and lead bromide in the
interstitial nephritis. A number of cases have been reported. (Chishohn J.J. 1971).
on account of inherent fact that the growth tends to aggravate the pollution of air
31
The environmental pollution is the necessary evil of all man made progress.
It is not only the industrialised countries, which are threatened with the
13
environmental pollution, but the menace is growing in India too. The developed
countries dump lot of effluents into the environment, polluting the whole globe. It
would not be wrong to say that pollution has been exported to developing nations
by the developed countries of the world. U.S is the most polluted continents of the
world today and New Delhi is the third polluted metropolis in India (B.K.Sharma
developing country, much emphasis has been given to rapid industrialization for
prosperity has caused nearly an environmental hazard. Moreover, lust for modem
world's natural resources are consumed by 25 percent of the world's population and
33
that too from developed countries which produce most of the pollutants.
(Anonymous 1989).
has become more complex with the use of non-renewable resources and energy
(M.Ravichandran, 1997).
experts that more than half of India's land suffered from some form of soil
by any medical or health services. Half of India might not get clean drinking water
Air pollution has arisen in India basically, due to emission of smoke; sulphur
dioxide, carbon monoxide and dust fall. The degree of air pollution depends upon
situation, social and economic structure etc. Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta have
suffered largely from air pollution due to excessive concentration of big factories in
very small areas and overload of traffic on a few key routes resulting in pollution of
The Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-85) gave importance to the protection of
impact on health and integrity or our natural resources and, soil, water forests, wild
also a number of complaints that hazardous wastes from rich countries are being
Movement of hazardous wastes and their disposal was adopted in 1989 by 116
states. In India the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, come
as
under Environment (Protection) Act. (Anonymous, 1989).
Certain types of air pollution have only limited impact. The particulates of
quarries and stone crushing units do not go deep into the atmosphere nor travel
much distance. They tend to settle in nearby places and affect only human beings,
cattle and productive assets in the area. In fact they are polluting enterprises. But the
impact of the pollution is not as intense as in the case of cement industries, thermal
power generation units and industries which generate toxic fumes and gases.
essential for carrying the central tasks assigned to economic, social behavioral and
16
biological sciences. Jordan (1971), emphasized that major economic problem such
its density and resources depletion have aroused grave concern. More information
and research studies treating man and his environment from a holistic and
ecological point of view have appeared in the past few years than that appeared
The number of studies conducted recently in India have revealed that due to
the bad impact of pollution, people around the polluting units had to incur huge
income and expenditures. And also affected was the agriculture field in surrounding
crushing units, distilleries, sugar and paper are capable of creating emissions and
spoil the atmosphere. The accumulation of wastes, gases and the particles from
combustion, production and other economic activities exceed the natural dispersion
capacity of the atmosphere. When air movements are unable to disperse wastes at
the rate they enter the atmosphere, air quality deteriorates and the seemingly infinite
Stone crusher pollution has become a major menace for people and cattle
living nearby. The dust particles, depending upon their sizes concentrate and
contaminate the environment affecting not only the vegetation but also the living
17
things of the area. There is a growing feeling that the crusher pollution has
dispensed with. Hence the wise thing is to encourage the entrepreneurs concerned
to install certain anti-pollution and control devices at the production level itself
State Governments, not much progress has been made in the installation of
anti-pollution devices and pollution continues in the area. The present study has
been undertaken to assess the intensity of the problem and assess its socio-economic
impact.
bearing this in mind, many efforts have been undertaken by Government and
voluntary agencies, to assess the socio-economic effects of pollution and to plan for
Tiruchirapalli no attempt has been made to analyse the impact of stone crusher units
The stone crushing units in the study area were advised to install pollution
pollution. But the cost of the pollution control device is estimated to run in to lakhs
of rupees, which certainly is a heavy burden for the capital starved entrepreneurs. A
cost benefit study of these ventures in other parts of India has not shown any
tangible benefits so far. It is a pity even such a limited study has not been taken up
the researcher has taken up this problem for study with a view to bring out the
nature of pollution caused by crusher units and its consequences in and around the
area of study.
1.4 OBJECTIVES:
1.5 HYPOTHESES:
m The pollution caused by the stone crusher units has affected the health of
their workers and has given rise to ailments which have not affected them
s The shorter the distance of the residence of the respondents from the stone
crusher units the greater will be the intensity of the pollution affecting them.
B The farther the distance of households from the source of pollution, the less
1.6 METHODOLOGY:
The study is based on the survey method. As far as the stone mills are
concerned there are only 14 units in the area and all of them have been covered by
survey. As there are only 106 workers employed in the stone crushing units all of
them have been covered by the survey. The remaining 140 households were
in an area of one kilometer from the cluster of stone crushing units. This has been
20
done so, because the studies conducted by the Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board
have shown that the extent of the pollution will be only up to a kilometer.
A questionnaire comprising four sections was prepared for the survey. The
four sections covered the stone crushing units, the employees of the stone crushing
households, also within a radius of one kilometer. With a view to testing the validity
random giving equal representation to the three categories included in the study,
agricultural households. Some of the previous studies have found that the pollution
caused by clusters of stone crushing units has affected only households within a
the present study area the thirty households selected for the study were chosen from
among the households within 1 km. radius as well as those outside the hmit. The
survey revealed that the households outside the 1 km. radius were not at all affected
by the pollution caused by the stone mills. Even within the one km. range the
intensity of the impact varied according to the proximity of the households from the
stone crusher clusters. On the basis of results of the pilot survey the questionnaire
21
was finalised by removing all unnecessary items and by including items suggested
Each and every respondent was directly interviewed by the researcher and
information given by him was duly recorded. After completing the survey the
researcher classified and tabulated the data under various heads for purpose
analysis. For the purpose analysis statistical instruments such as chi-square test,
normal (Z) test, standard deviation and correlations were used. A time series
analysis was employed for the purpose of studying the decline in agricultural yield
1.7 LIMITATIONS:
B The researcher faced a lot of problems in getting data from the stone
There are Six Chapter is this dissertation. The First Chapter provides an
introduction to the study and also deals with methodological details. The Second
Chapter provides the profile of the study area. The Fourth Chapter deals with the
ix)lluting units and the socio-economic impact of the pollution on their employees.
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