Don’t burn tires or use firecrackers, DENR asks public BY KATHERINE ADRANEDA

EXPECTING very poor air quality come New Year’s Day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) asked the public to refrain from using smog-causing firecrackers and burning tires to welcome the entry of 2007.

DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes encouraged the public to go for cleaner and safer alternatives of creating noise and blasting away the bad vibes of the past to help prevent the adverse impact of air pollution on the public’s health and on the environment. "The ill-effects of setting off all sorts of firecrackers and the burning of used tires are very evident after the New Year revelry," Reyes said.

"The city is blanketed with thick, dark grayish smoke. There is no doubt that our health and environment are adversely affected."

Citing an ambient air study made in Mandaue City, Reyes said the total amount of suspended particulate matter (PM10) in the air shoots up to unacceptable levels the morning after the New Year revelry.

Reyes said that data culled during the pre-New Year celebration showed that Mandaue City registered an average of 22 micrograms per cubic meter of PM10. However, this record increased on New Year’s Eve 2005 to 55 micrograms per cubic meter of PM10 and rose even more to around 250 percent on the morning of Jan. 1, 2006 to 72 micrograms per cubic meter of PM10, which then lingered for days.

In a similar study, Bangued, also in Cebu, registered a PM10-level of up to 187 micrograms per cubic meter on the morning after the New Year revels of 2006. The town recorded an average of 58 micrograms per cubic meter of PM10 prior the New Year celebration.

In Metro Manila, the DENR’s Ambient Air Quality Management Office estimated that PM10 levels increased to as much as 300 micrograms per cubic meter on the morning of Jan. 1, 2006. Reyes said that the acceptable or tolerable level of PM10 is 90 micrograms per cubic meter. Reyes added that "fumes coming from exploding firecrackers contain a number of harmful substances like oxides of sulfur, phosphorous, nitrogen, carbon and toxic dust."

"Based on studies, nitrogen oxides cause acid rain that destroys the ozone layer and lead to damage to vegetation and property, while carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming," he added.

Reyes said firecrackers also leave solid debris, which may either be biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Non-biodegradable firecracker waste may pollute water resources like lakes, rivers and reservoirs. The DENR said that, depending on the length of exposure, the health impact of air emissions from tire burning include irritation of the skin and eyes, adverse respiratory reactions and worse cancer.

Tire-burning causes the emission of air pollutants, such as particulates, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, dioxins, furans, benzene and some metals like arsenic, cadmium, nickel and zinc.

The DENR said the hazardous smoke from burning tires may cause dizziness, heart disturbances, asthma attacks and respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, laryngitis and pneumonia.