Ngo-Pat Elder, ngo-Ephreli 25, 2019
Indaba yezimpaphe, i-wax, izixwayiso ezingenakulinganiswa, nezingozi zobunjiniyela bamakhemikhali banamuhla
Emlandweni wamaGreki, indaba kaDaedalus no-Icarus inikeza isifundo abantu abangazange bafunde. UDaedalus nendodana yakhe, u-Icarus baboshwa embhoshongweni. Ukuze aphunyuke, uDaedalus wadala amaphiko kusuka kumpaphe kanye ne-wax. UDaedalus waxwayisa indodana yakhe ukuba ingasondeli eduze nelanga ngenxa yokwesaba ukuthi i-wax yayiyoncibilika. U-Icarus wahamba, ejabule ngokusungula, futhi wakhuphuka ngokufudumala elangeni. Amaphiko akhe ahlukana, futhi u-Icarus wawela ekufeni kwakhe.
Ubuchwepheshe obuphawulekayo bubalekela ukulawula kwethu futhi kuphelisa abantu. Ukwakhiwa okumangalisa kokubili ku-1938 kufana nokuqina kukaDaedalus kwamaphiko ukuze kukhishwe: ukuhlukaniswa kwe-athomu ye-uranium yiJalimane yamaNazi, nokutholakala kwemithi ngayinye neyama-poly fluoroalkyl (PFAS) ngamakhemikhali aseDupont eNew Jersey.
U-Albert Einstein waqaphela ukuthi amaNazi angathuthukisa izikhali zenuzi futhi amholela ekukhuthazeni ukudala ibutho le-nyukliya laseMelika. Lapho sekuphuzile, wakhala ngesandla sakhe ekudaleni amandla anjalo. "Amandla atholakalayo e-athomu ashintshile konke ukugcina izindlela zethu zokucabanga, futhi ngaleyo ndlela sifinyelela ezinkingeni ezingenakulinganiswa," esho.
Okufanayo kusebenza kwezobunjiniyela zamanje zamakhemikhali.
Ngasikhathi sinye, umhlaba wazibonela ukutholwa ngengozi kwenkomponi ye-PFAS eyaziwa nge-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Njengokuhlukanisa i-athomu ye-uranium, lokhu bekungokunye kokutholwa kwesayensi okubaluleke kakhulu kuwo wonke umlando wesintu. I-PTFE itholwe nguRoy J. Plunkett eDupont Company's Jackson Laboratory eDeepwater, eNew Jersey.
Ubuchwepheshe buyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kune-wax kanye nezinpaphe zeDaedalus, kodwa imiphumela, njengokuhlukanisa i-athomu. babe nokukwazi kokubili ukukhonza nokubhubhisa ubuntu.
I-Plunkett yayikhiqize amapremu ayikhulu e-tetrafluoroethylene gas (TFE) futhi igcinwe ezincane ezilindile emazingeni okushisa abomile ngaphambi kokuyihlobisa. Lapho elungisa isilinda ukuze isetshenziswe, ayikho igesi elaphuma-kodwa isilinda sasilinganisa ngaphambili. I-Plunkett ivuliwe I-cylinder ye-Pandora futhi ngathola impuphu emhlophe engenawo wonke amakhemikhali futhi ethathwa njengezinto ezishelelayo kunazo zonke ezikhona - futhi emelana nokushisa kakhulu.
Yayisetshenziselwa ukwenza imikhiqizo yeTeflon nokuhlukahluka kwaba isithako esisebenzayo kugwebu lokulwa nomlilo ngesikhathi sokuzivocavoca umlilo njalo ezikhungweni zamasosha nasezikhumulweni zezindiza. Amakhemikhali amangalisayo asetshenziselwa izindwangu ezingamabala namanzi, upholishi, ama-wax, opende, ukufakwa kokudla, i-dental floss, imikhiqizo yokuhlanza, ukufakwa kwe-chrome, ukukhiqizwa kwe-elekthronikhi, nokubuyiselwa kukawoyela, ukubala ezinye zezicelo. Lezi zindlela - ikakhulukazi ukusetshenziswa kwePFAS njengogwebu lokulwa nomlilo olungena emanzini angaphansi komhlaba - vumela ama-carcinogens ukuthi angene emzimbeni womuntu awugcine Kuze kube phakade. Ucwaningo lwe-2015 olwenziwe yi-US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey luthole ama-PFAS ngamaphesenti angama-97 wamasampula egazi lomuntu. Kusetshenziswe izinto zamakhemikhali ezi-fluorinated ezingaba ngu-5,000 XNUMX selokhu kwatholakala okokuqala. I-PFAS iyisibonakaliso sanamuhla sebhokisi likaPandora, enye inganekwane yamaGrikhi.
Ngokusobala, uZeus usaziphindiselela ku-Prometheus naso sonke isintu ngokweba umlilo ezulwini. UZeus wethule uPandora kumfowabo ka-Prometheus u-Epimetheus. UPandora wayephethe ibhokisi onkulunkulu abathi linezipho ezikhethekile ezivela kubo, kepha akavunyelwe ukuvula ibhokisi. Ngaphandle kwesixwayiso, uPandora wavula ibhokisi eliqukethe ukugula, ukufa nobuningi bezinto ezimbi ezabe sezidedelwa emhlabeni. UPandora wayesaba, ngoba wabona yonke imimoya emibi iphuma futhi wazama ukuvala ibhokisi ngokushesha okukhulu, wavala uThemba ngaphakathi!
Zonke izinto ze-5,000 PFAS zikholakala ukuthi ziyingozi.
Imiphumela yezempilo yokuchayeka kulezi zimakhemikhali ihlanganisa ukuphazamiseka okuvamile nezinye izinkinga ezinzima zokukhulelwa. Zingcolisa ubisi lwebele lomuntu futhi zigulisa izingane ezincelisa ibele. I-per and poly fluoroalkyls ifaka isandla ekulimaleni kwesibindi, umdlavuza wezinso, i-cholesterol ephezulu, ingozi eyandayo yesifo se-thyroid, kanye nomdlavuza wamasende, i-micro-penis, nesibalo se-sperm esincane kumadoda.
Okwamanje, i-EPA yenqaba ukulawula izinto. Kuyinto entshonalanga yasendle kanti u-sheriff akatholakali ndawo. I-ejensi engena-rudder ikhethe ukusetha i-70 ppt ye-Lifetime Health Ukucebisa (LHA) yamanzi okuphuza. Izeluleko aziphoqelekile.
I-LHA ukuhlanganiswa kwamakhemikhali emanzini okuphuza akulindelekile ukuthi kubangele noma yimiphi imiphumela emibi ye-noncarcinogenic impilo yonke yokuvezwa. I-LHA isuselwa ekuvezweni komuntu omdala ongu-70 kg osebenzisa amalitha amabili amanzi ngosuku.
Uma kungekho i-EPA esebenza kahle, i-New Jersey, indawo yokuzalwa yezinto ezinamanzi kanye nama-poly fluoroalkyl, isanda kusebenzisa ukuphuza okuphoqelekile kwesizwe kanye nemigomo yamanzi emhlabathini ye-10 ppt ye-PFAS ne-10 ppt ye-PFOA. Amaqembu ezemvelo ayecele umkhawulo we-5 ppt kwikhemikhali ngayinye. UPhilippe Grandjean nozakwabo eHarvard TH Chan School of Public Health bathi ukuvezwa kwe-1 ppt emanzini okuphuza kuyingozi empilweni yabantu.
Izindinganiso ezintsha zeNew Jersey ngeke zisebenze ekufakweni kweDoD njengaseTrenton Naval Air Warfare Center yangaphambilini eyavalwa ngo-1997. Ukuhlolwa kwakamuva lapho kukhombisa ukuthi iNavy ingcolise amanzi angaphansi komhlaba nge-27,800 ppt ye-PFAS ngenkathi i-Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst ifake ushevu emanzini angaphansi komhlaba ngo-1,688 i-ppt yezinto. Kunezindawo eziningi zokuvikela esifundazweni ezingafakwanga ku Umbiko we-DoD kwi-PFAS eyandulela kakhulu ukungcola, nakuba beyaziwa ukusebenzisa lezi zinto.
I-England Air Force Base e-Alexandria Louisiana, isikhungo esivaliwe ngo-1992, muva nje kutholakale ukuthi sine-10,900,000 ppt yaleli khemikhali emanzini alo angaphansi komhlaba. Ezinye izakhamuzi eziseduze nesisekelo zinikezwa ngamanzi emithombo. Ngokungafani neNew Jersey, iLouisana ayizange isebenze ekuvikeleni izakhamizi zayo. ILouisiana ngokusobala yenelisekile ngokungasebenzi kukahulumeni ku-PFAS.
I-EPA yakamuva I-Per- ne-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Uhlelo Lokusebenza yehluleka ukusebenzisa imikhawulo yokulawula i-PFAS futhi inciphise imithelela engaba khona yezempilo yabantu yamakhemikhali abulalayo. Izinhlangano zamasosha nezingcolisa umoya zingaphefumula lapho ziqhubeka nokufaka ushevu emphakathini.
Kuyinto edabukisayo. I-PFAS ingashintsha ukuthi abantu bayakwazi kanjani ukuphendula kahle izifo ezithathelwanayo. Ososayensi baye babonisa ukuthi ukungena kwi-PFAS kungashintsha ukuphendula komzimba futhi kwandise ukutholakala kwezifo ezithathelwanayo. Ososayensi baye babonisa ukuthi ukucaciswa kwe-PFAS kuhlotshaniswa nezinguquko ekuboniseni izakhi zofuzo ze-52 ezithintekayo emisebenzini ye-immunological kanye nentuthuko. Ngamafuphi, i-PFAS inamandla okuvimbela isimiso somzimba sokuzivikela. Njengoba cishe bonke abantu bephethe lezi zingozi, kufanele sikhathazeke kakhulu.
Nakuba i-EPA ingayikhulumi, ososayensi baye baxhuma ngokucacile amazinga e-PFAS egazini labesifazane abakhulelwe kulezi zimpendulo ezinganeni zabo:
- Ukunciphisa amazinga e-antibody okwenziwe yimigomo kanye nemiphumela yezempilo ehlobene nomzimba ebusweni ebusheni.
- Ama-antibodies ambalwa amelene ne-rubella emantwaneni agonywe.
- Isibalo sezinhlanzi ezivamile ezinganeni,
- I-gastroenteritis ezinganeni.
- Inombolo ekhulayo yezifo zokuphefumula eminyakeni yokuqala yokuphila kwe-10.
U-Icarus wawela ekufeni kwakhe, engaqondi ubungozi betheknoloji kayise. Sibe yi-Icarus. Intuthuko enkulu yabantu kumele ibhekwe yilabo abanezinhloso ezinhle zokuvikela impilo yethu nokuphepha kwethu. Ngokudabukisayo, lokhu akulona iqiniso lethu.
"Uma sizophila ngokusondelene nalawa makhemikhali, siwadle futhi siwaphuze, siwangenise kuwo kanye umnkantsha wamathambo ethu - kungcono sazi okuthile ngemvelo yawo namandla awo."
- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
