|
But sodium hydroxide is an irritant that
can burn skin and aggravate nose, throat
and respiratory airways, so contact with
it is best avoided. If ingested outright
it will likely induce vomiting, as well
as cause chest or abdominal pain and make
swallowing difficult--so keep it well out
of the reach of children.
For those who would rather avoid such chemicals
entirely, safer alternatives do exist. A
plunger or mechanical drain snake--along
with a little elbow grease--can often free
up clogs as well or better than sodium hydroxide
compounds. One home remedy with a proven
track record is to pour a handful of baking
soda mixed with a half cup of vinegar down
the drain, and follow it quickly with boiling
water.
Another option is to choose any number of
enzymatic biological drain cleaners on the
market today, such as Earth Friendly Products’
Enzyme Drain Cleaner or Bi-O-Kleen’s
BacOut. These make use of a natural bacterial
and enzyme mixture to open and keep drains
clear. And unlike sodium hydroxide they
are non-caustic and will not facilitate
combustion.
As any plumber will tell you, a good maintenance
regimen is the best way to prevent clogged
drains. Flushing drains weekly with boiling
water can help keep them clear. Also, installing
small screens atop drains will help keep
hair, lint and other clogging elements out
of the pipeline in the first place.
CONTACTS:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, www.atsdr.cdc.gov
Earth Friendly Products, www.ecos.com
Bi-O-Kleen, www.bi-o-kleen.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear EarthTalk:
What have been the environmental consequences
of the Iraq War?
—
Katharine Biddle Barrette, Weston, CT
According to a report by the international
environmental organization Greenpeace, the
ecological damage from the 1990s Gulf War
was “unprecedented.” More than
two-dozen chemical, biological and possibly
nuclear facilities were destroyed or badly
damaged, dispersing airborne toxins over
hundreds of surrounding miles. Bombing and
troop movements ruined hundreds of square
miles of fragile desert surface, while land
mines killed and maimed not only humans
but also many thousands of wild animals.
A United Nations mission in March 1991 found
nearly half of Kuwait’s 1,330 active
oil wells ablaze, releasing acrid smoke
that spread hundreds of miles, causing substantial
amounts of ensuing acid rain as well as
respiratory and carcinogenic effects in
humans accordingly. Many other wells were
gushing oil: Some eight million barrels
reached coastlines, and as many as 150 million
barrels spilled onto the ground.
Fast forward to the present Iraq War: The
U.S. military focused on securing Iraq’s
oil wells at the outset, in light of past
experience, and was more concerned about
the potential environmental destruction
from the release of chemical and biological
agents or the detonation of weapons of mass
destruction.
But while such fears proved unfounded, Iraqi
citizens--not to mention allied soldiers--could
suffer for decades to come from the effects
of the use of weapons containing depleted
uranium. Depleted uranium (DU) is a waste
product of uranium enrichment for the production
of nuclear fuel and weapons. Its density
and high melting point make DU useful in
various kinds of munitions, especially because
it can penetrate tank armor. For the same
reasons, it is also used in tank armor itself.
But when such munitions are expended into
the field, the substance sticks around and
can contaminate food and water supplies
and surrounding landscapes. (The actual
radiation given off by DU is slight, and
not likely to cause any distress.) Human
health effects linked to DU exposure include
kidney damage, lung cancer and leukemia,
although conclusive studies have not yet
been conducted
An International Commission to Ban Uranium
Weapons was formed in 2003 to try to convince
military leaders to stop using DU. The group
is currently collecting signatures for its
online petition calling for a comprehensive
prohibition on the production, possession
and sale of DU weaponry. Some 190,000 sympathizers
have signed on so far.
In a rare bit of good news from Iraq (environmental
or otherwise), the country’s ancient
marshlands, which were drained by Saddam
Hussein in the 1990s as punishment against
their occupants (most of the area’s
450,000 Shi’ite inhabitants had to
flee), are back to almost 40 percent of
their former level, according to the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since
Saddam Hussein’s fall from power,
the marshes have recovered at what researchers
term a “phenomenal” rate.
|
