HINDI ho kami tambakan ng basura n’yo! Hello? (Annyeonghaseyo!) Pakiusap lang… Kayo po ay aming pinatuloy at isin-ama sa aming komunidad. We welcomed you with open arms, together with your culture, people and products. Tang-gap po namin ang inyong kontribusyon sa aming ekonomiya. Thank you (Tamsahamnida.) for promoting and enjoying our hospitality. Pero pati ba naman toxic wastes ninyo, ipinadala dito? Sorry (Mianhamnida) we cannot ac-cept that! We are neighbors who must respect sovereignty and co-equal human beings. Pantay at sa patas lang ho tayo.
IMPORTED NA BASURA?
Heto na naman tayo. May mga gustong kumita nang walang pakundangan sa sariling bansa o kalusugan ng iba. Ipinuslit at itinambak sa ating bayan ang mga basurang galing sa South Korea.
Ang naturang shipment ay dumating sa MCT nitong July sakay ng barko na wala raw import permit at misdeclared ang shipment. Tinatayang hihigit sa 30 tons ang bigat ng basurang ito na nakatambak ngayon sa bakanteng lote sa Cagayan de Oro City.
Ayon sa DENR, idineklara na synthetic plates ang laman ng mga kargamento, pero pinaghalong mga toxic at biohazards pala ang laman nito, tulad ng lumang baterya at medical wastes gaya ng dextrose tubes at diapers. “We find this latest incident of plastic waste dumping outrageous and unaccepta-ble. Why do we keep on accepting garbage from other countries?” ayon sa EcoWaste Coalition.
Ano akala natin – kimchi, bibimbap at bulgogi ang laman niyon?
EPEKTO SA KAPALIGIRAN
Imposible naman hong ang ating mga basura ay parang magic na basta na lang nawawala. There are unfortunate plac-es na pinagtatambakan natin ng mga ito. While in most developed countries the waste disposal processes are efficient enough to prevent major disasters from happening, in some cities the careless attitudes of local government towards maintaining cleanliness have caused deadly results. Narito po ang ilan:
• Garbage contaminates surface waters. – It affects all ecosystems existing in the water, including fish and other ani-mals that drink the polluted water. Hazardous household waste items such as batteries, computer equipment and leftover paints can be dangerous for surface waters.
• Direct handling of waste is a health risk. – Direct contact with waste can result in infections through infected wounds, from the bites of animals feeding on the waste, and diseases transmitted by flies. Picking up overflowing garbage is also risky due to sharp objects, needles and broken glass.
• Inefficient waste control is bad for municipal wellbeing. – Overflowing garbage is a public nuisance and eyesore. A smelly city with poor sanitation and trash all over the place does not attract people or tourists, let alone investments. Cities lose money, and also miss out on the revenue and job oppor-tunities.
EPEKTO SA KALUSUGAN
Progress has its share of disadvantages and one of the main aspects of concern is the pollution it is causing to our earth – be it land, air, and water. Waste that is not properly managed, especially excreta and other liquid and solid waste from households and the community, are a serious health hazard. Narito po muli ang ilan:
• Bacteria, insects and vermin thrive from garbage. – The flies that visit the garbage are also the same flies that roam around our houses. They in-crease the risk of infections like salmonella, which causes typhoid fever, food poisoning, enteric fever, gastroenteritis, and other major illnesses.
• Overflowing waste causes air pollution and respiratory diseases. – One of the outcomes of overflowing garbage is poor air quality, which may con-tain contaminants that are absorbed from lungs. The toxic substances include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane which may be circulated in our body systems.
EPEKTO NG BAHO
Kadiri naman! Akala ng iba hindi masama sa katawan porke’t amoy lamang. Normally it is the wet waste that decom-poses and releases a bad odor. This leads to unhygienic conditions.
Ano ba ang paliwanag ng medisina tungkol sa pang-amoy? Smell is due to molecules of a particular substance that travel into our nose. These odor molecules contact a tissue called the olfactory epithelium. This generates electrical signals that are relayed to nerve cells. The odor itself cannot make one sick. But some gaseous compounds, like Hy-drogen sulfide, which has a characteristic rotten-egg odor is produced by breakdown of organic matter by bacteria, a common component of sewer gas. This can affect health by causing shortness of breath, headaches, eye irritation, or, if large amounts are inhaled, even death.
SAKIT NA DULOT NITO
• Infections – Skin and blood infections resulting from direct contact with waste, and from infected
wounds. Eye and respiratory infections resulting from exposure to infected dust, especially during landfill operations. Intestinal infec-tions that are transmitted by flies feeding on the waste.
• Chronic diseases – Incineration operators are at risk of chronic respiratory diseases, including cancers resulting from exposure to dust and hazard-ous compounds.
• Accidents – Infecting wounds resulting from contact with sharp objects. Poisoning and chemical burns resulting from contact with small amounts of hazardous chemicals, like methane.
• Poisoning – Certain coloring and plastic additives are harmful as their pigment contains heavy metals that are highly toxic. Some of the harmful metals found in plastics are copper, lead, chromium, cobalt, selenium, and cadmium.
• Cancer – Certain chemicals if released untreated, like cyanide, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls are highly tox-ic and exposure can lead to tu-mors.
*Quotes
“A friend at school was always being laughed at because his father is a garbage collector. But those who laughed wor-shipped famous athletes. This is an example of idiotic thinking. Who would we miss most if they did not work for a month, the basketball player or the garbage collector?
oOo
Salamat po sa pagsubaybay sa ating artikulo tuwing Lunes. Para sa mga dagdag ninyong katanungan, maaari po kayong makinig sa DWIZ 882 khz every Sunday at 11am sa programang Kalusugang Ka-BILIB or text sa (0999) 414 5144 or visit our Facebook account: lebien medical wellness. God bless dear readers!