BENGALURU: The Cauvery protests were marked by burning of buses and cars. Now that the dust has settled, we take into account the toxic chemicals – sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc – which were released into the environment from the combustion of rubber tyres, wood and plastic. Also, how will this affect our health?
Consultant Pulmonologist at BGS Global Hospital, Dr Sandeep HS, says we can expect the smog to stay for 15 to 20 days and cause lung sicknesses. “Inhalation of harmful gases will cause formation of abnormal haemoglobin with reduced capacity to carry oxygen,” he says. “This will worsen respiratory illnesses such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...”
Sudden exposure to large quantities of smoke might causes acute injuries to the lungs and people could develop respiratory troubles such as wheezing and cough, and may even end up with reactive airways dysfunction syndrome or RADS. In RADS, a person may experience prolonged bouts of wheezing, cough and shortness of breath. Environmentalist A N Yellapa Reddy says, “Tyres contain chemicals such as coal and hydrogen, and its burning will release even chlorine molecules that remain in the air for more than 500 years. One chlorine molecule can destroy nearly 100,000 ozone molecules in the stratosphere.”
Depletion of the ozone layer will lead to increased number of people being affected by cancer and cardiac arrests, he says, and disruption of agricultural cycles and ecological balance.
Chlorine molecules can enter the lung’s alveoli, the sacs through which oxygen and carbon dioxide pass between the lungs and the bloodstream. “If the chlorine molecules enter the alveoli, then the blood does not get purified and this impure blood will circulate through the body and cause pneumonia and even affect the functioning of our brain,” says Yellappa.
Chemicals released can heat up the ambient air and cause skin burns. “It affects new born babies and trees,” says Yellappa. “With a rise in the number of apartments and factory buildings, air cannot circulate freely and rid itself of harmful chemicals... so they remain in the atmosphere for longer.”
Dr. Shashidhar Buggi, thoracic surgeon and director at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, says “Bengaluru is already highly polluted and the burning during the protests have only worsened the situation. There are already many who suffer from lung infection, weak lungs and skin allergies. When people burn tyres, carbon monoxide is released into the atmosphere and these people could experience loss of consciousness and even sudden death.”
N Mukund, joint secretory of Citizen Action Forum, says protests have affected the Mysore Road and its surrounding area the worst. “When it rains, these chemicals will be washed into water bodies and seep into the groundwater... people who drink unfiltered water will also be affected.”
Protestors even torched garages. “It caused losses to businessmen,” says Mukund. “Government should set guidelines on how to protest and have stricter rules against destruction of public property.”