by Colette Georgii

Created on: November 28, 2007

Airport Pollution Poses Cancer Risk

If you live within a 6-mile radius to an airport, you are at a higher risk for dying of cancer, according to Ruth Skolvick in her article, Exposing Airports' Poison Circles, Earth Island Journal, winter 2000-2001.

The pollution related to airports comes from the CO2 emissions from jet aircraft, ground vehicles, and airport maintenance operations.

Airport pollution not only puts people at risk for cancer, but also other illnesses - asthma, liver damage, lung disease, lymphoma, depression, myeloid leukemia and tumors.

It can actually affect people living 30 miles from an airport.

Around Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, 219 volatile compounds have been detected. People living in this highly polluted area are at a cancer risk 5 times higher than the national average.

At O'Hare, "Dioxins from spilled jet fuel, di-ethelyne glycol from de-icing fluids, leaked engine oil and dissolved jet exhaust particulates commonly flood the tarmac and seep into the ground, streams, and creeks bordering O'Hare. The run-off ultimately flows into the Des Planes River, endangering the health of downstream communities."

Airplanes and aviation are responsible for the emissions of nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, naphthalene, benzene, formaldehyde, and dust particles. Benzene is a carcinogen and formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen. All these chemicals contribute to poor health and global warming.

The biggest emissions for aircraft occur when the plane is idling or taxiing. This is when 90% of aircraft hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions occur.

Older aircraft are more polluting than newer aircraft.

Here we can see that there are a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and other health and environmental concerns. The CO2 emissions of aircraft are much greater than the emissions from cars. The amount of energy used to power airplanes is also extensive.

Therefore it is important that older aircraft be replaced for new aircraft and that alternative fuel and energy are applied to the airline program as well as to cars. Steps need to be taken at airports to ensure the health of its passengers and people living in the surrounding communities.

Airports or the offices governing airports need to devise a plan whereby less energy is consumed, less CO2 and other harmful chemical emissions occur, new fuel efficient air craft are designed, older aircraft are recycled so that the parts do not become hazardous waste and landfill contaminants. This is necessary for the health and safely of people living close to an airport, and for the environmental impact on the entire planet.

Source:
(http://greenfutures.org/projects/nbairport/v ba_airpollute.html).

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