C I T I Z E N S A G A I N S T P O L L U T I O N

PRESS RELEASE

Hyderabad, 15 September 2005: A report on the air quality of Pasha Mailaram Industrial Estate revealed that the air in the area is unfit to breathe. According to the air sample taken 15 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Sulphur compounds, such as Methyl Mercaptan, Dimethyl Sulphide, Chloromethane, Acetonitrile, Methylene Chloride, 1,2-Dichloroethane were found in the sample. Moreover 8 chemicals including 3 carcinogens were found dangerously above the safe screening levels of United States Environment Protect Agency (USEPA).

“The results demonstrate that there is sufficient reason to suggest that the air in and around the industrial estate may contain dangerous levels of toxic gases. The presence of chemicals as were found in this sample could potentially harm residents, workers and other people spending time in or around the industrial estate”, said Dr. Narsimha Reddy of Citizens Against Pollution. He also mentioned that given the fact that the sample was taken on a normal working day in the industrial estate raises the fear of even higher levels of toxic gases during gas leaks, spills or upset incidents.

The sample in Pasha Mailaram industrial estate was taken by the local residents and activists with the help of a simple, robust community device called “Bucket”. The Bucket sample analyses for 69 VOCs and 20 Sulphur compounds in the air. Currently there are no monitoring authorities in India that monitor for VOCs and Sulphur compounds in the air and there are no standards in the country to compare the results with.

The air sample was analysed at Air Quality Laboratory, California, a USEPA recognized laboratory. The air sample was taken as a part of National Air Toxics program of Community Environmental Monitoring, a group based in Chennai.

For more details contact:
D. Narasimha Reddy
Secretary
Contact phone: 2407 7804

 

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