Health & Air Quality
The proposed activities at Kingsferry Wharf introduces high pollution to our village – especially for those living adjacent to the Wharf. Even if we just discuss a few of the introduced pollutants we should be worried – very worried! The Wharf is right next to hundreds of residents.
This is an important page – please read it all! Just two of the headline acts are serious enough to ruin residents health:
What are Cementitious Materials?
A concise summary would be: “Cementitious materials are one of the principal ingredients that make up the concrete mixture”. The primary ingredient of any concrete mixture is Cement and Aggregates such as Sand and Stone.
Ok – so what’s wrong with cement dust?
Cement dust is a type of dust generated in the process of mining, manufacturing, packing, and transporting cement. To make cement, people need to grind clinker and gypsum together with further additives. Clinker is the product of the mass sintering process of limestone and clay materials in appropriate proportions.
Cement contains silica which is a dangerous substance. Silica is a toxic substance in the construction industry second only to asbestos. According to statistics, silica dust kills around 800 people every year in the UK.
In addition to silica, cement dust also contains other toxic dust and dirt such as alkaline compounds that can corrode human tissue such as acidic oxides, silicon oxides, iron oxides, magnesium oxide, and aluminium trioxide, a small amount of chromium can cause allergies after exposure to the dust.
Hazards of cement dust
Cement dust is a type of dust with lightweight and small in size particles that easily fly in the air and cause environmental pollution. From there, the particles come into contact with humans and cause potential health hazards. Cement dust can be harmful to health when in contact with the skin, in contact with eyes, in contact with the nose, and when inhaled go deep into the body. The level of danger depends on the concentration and volume of cement dust in contact with each individual.
Entering the body
Inhaling cement dust can irritate the nose and throat. A person who inhales a sufficient amount of cement dust can expect an itchy neck, cough, difficulty breathing, and worst case choking!
Small particles of cement dust can easily penetrate the human body. Long-term exposure to cement dust can lead to dangerous lung diseases such as silicosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
When the cement dust enters the lungs, it will be difficult to expel them. Some studies have also shown links between exposure to crystalline silica and lung cancer.
How to object?
Good News! It’s easier than you think to make your voice heard. You can object in one of two simple ways: by post or even easier, by email.
THE HSE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) takes cement and construction dusts VERY seriously. On its Construction Dust Information Pages, the HSE states “Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and silicosis.”
On the same page It also states “These diseases cause permanent disability and early death. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year.”
In addition to the many pages of warnings and guidance on construction dusts, the HSE also has a number of ‘workers stories’ where life changing stories are listed. https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/workers-stories.htm
You may think ‘well that’s construction workers!’ – that not true, its for anybody exposed to construction dusts (including cement and aggregates) – that will be all of us in and around the Wharf should this permit be allowed.
Skin Contact
Cement dust when in contact with the skin can cause clogged pores, and dermatitis for those regularly exposed to it.
Contact with wet cement can also cause severe skin corrosion. Cement dust can react with sweat or wet clothing to form a corrosive solution. If exposed to wet cement for a short time and washed immediately afterward, it is less likely to irritate. But continuous contact with wet cement can cause skin burns due to alkaline compounds penetrating through human skin.
Eye Contact
Exposure to cement dust can cause immediate eye irritation. The degree of eye pain depends on the degree of exposure and its effects on the human eye. When exposed to cement dust, human eyes can immediately become red. Exposure to a large amount of dust can cause eye burns and affect eyesight.
Exhaust Gasses from plant, vehicles & machinery
The plant, machinery and vehicles machinery required to offload and convey the materials brought into the wharf by ships such as lorries, cranes, and other heavy equipment, rely on very large diesel engines operating many hours a day. This will certainly contribute to air quality issues due to the exhaust gases they produce.
Now, why is this a concern?
Air Quality
Issues:
The exhaust gases released by these diesel engines can contain harmful pollutants like Nitrogen Oxides and Particulate Matters (NOx and PM), which can have detrimental effects on air quality. High levels of these pollutants can lead to smog formation, reduced visibility, and health problems for people living near the wharf.
Health
Impacts:
Prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust emissions can pose health risks. Particulate matter can enter our lungs and bloodstream, potentially causing or exacerbating respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis. Nitrogen oxides are known to contribute to respiratory problems and can even lead to heart diseases.
Environmental impact:
Carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas emitted by diesel engines, contributes to climate change. he pollutants in diesel exhaust can affect wildlife and their habitats. For example, NOx emissions can lead to the eutrophication of water bodies, which can harm aquatic ecosystems and wildlife.
IOSH
The institute of Occupational Safety and Health state in their own publication ‘DIESEL ENGINE EXHAUST FUMES: THE FACTS’ that:
Diesel engine exhaust fumes are a mixture of gases, vapours, liquid aerosols and particles created by burning diesel fuels.
Diesel fumes may contain over 10 times the amount of soot particles than in petrol exhaust fumes, and the mixture includes several carcinogenic substances, meaning they have the potential to cause cancer.
Breathing in high quantities of diesel exhaust fumes can cause irritation in the respiratory tract within a few minutes of exposure, but prolonged exposure over many years may be more harmful.
Diesel exhaust fumes were classified as “probable carcinogens” back in 1988, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, has recently upgraded them to a Group 1 carcinogen, so these emissions are now treated as a definite cause of cancer in humans. The IARC has said that people regularly exposed to diesel exhaust fumes at work can be up to 40 per cent more likely to develop lung cancer.
But how we will be exposed to these pollutants?
The diesel fumes from the plant and machinery are just spread in the air, the engines work outdoors and plumes of diesel exhaust gasses will be seen all day. The less obvious contender is the cement dust it self.
As we discussed in section 4 ,The building that MCL Solutions Ltd propose to use is not for purpose. It was designed as a warehouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is not a purpose built sealed building. It is an asbestos roofed brick building with a lean to frontage with massive roller shutter doors.
MCL Solutions Limited plan to vacuum, blow and manually empty hundreds of bags of cement per ship load. Ripped bags, split hoses and over filling will all be an everyday occurance. Even with the best of intentions you could not keep cement dust inside that old warehouse!
IOSH also state that the ‘Main Risk Employment Areas’ are: