How to protect yourself in the city from the harmful effects of smog and smoke?
IN recent years due to certain conditions in the summer, especially in July and August, there is an unfavorable fire situation on the territory of the central region of Russia, when the peat bogs burn. With the prevailing southeast wind, Moscow and some of its satellite cities are covered with thick smoke (smog) - a product of burning (smoldering) peat bogs, which we inherited as a memory of the plans of the first five-year plans and the electrification plan of the young republic of the Councils of People's Commissars. However, on the Internet you can find information about forest peat fires in Muscovy during the Battle of Kulikovo and the conquest of Ochakov and Crimea. However this material we focus on issues of protection, or in other words, what to do, rather than who is to blame.
All this determines the impossibility of accurately determining the actual damage caused by fires and clarifies the legality of oil palm plantations. This is supported by the fact that last month the Anti-Corruption Commission reported that over the past ten years, illegal deforestation has cost Indonesia $9 billion in royalties on lost timber.
These fires are one of the worst disasters to ever hit the country: it is inconceivable that he should be allowed to take advantage of such a crisis. A spokesman for the Indonesian Petroleum Producers Association in Palma said the palm oil industry was the victim of a smear campaign and suggested the fires were staged to damage its image. oil industry palm trees in Indonesia. However, when Greenpeace visited the area affected by the fires on October 27, local people told investigators that the area had been burned twice: an illegal but very common practice to prepare soil for oil palm.
Smoke formation and distribution in the atmosphere
What, first of all, you need to know about forest peat fires? That smoke - a product of peat combustion - is usually an odorous and visually visible light gray mixture of combustion products of combustible organic materials, containing a mixture of gases, vapors and finely divided solids(the size of which ranges from 20 to 400 microns), formed during more or less incomplete combustion of fuel. Therefore, when peat bogs burn, a whole “bouquet” of combustion products is obtained, containing not only carbon monoxide, but also flammable compounds, including carbon, hydrogen and partly oxygen and nitrogen, and other associated compounds, in addition, peat in a finely divided state - in the form of soot . Therefore, you need to understand that you need to protect your body comprehensively, from all harmful factors of combustion products, which is not easy to do in everyday life.
Sumatra burning peatlands. Purpose: to place in palm plantations, from which sourdough fats are made. Stop serves the help of the West. Snack dispenser in a Western company. Taralucci, crackers, chocolate chip cookies, mixed rice wafers, potato chips. For five snacks, five mention “vegetable oils and lubricants” among the ingredients. The common name behind which is probably palm oil is also used as a biofuel and in various detergents, shampoos, cosmetics, especially soaps, as this allows for a very durable, fast-drying and slow-consuming product.
As a result of this combustion, smoke and dust rise upward in the atmosphere. The height of the rise of combustion products can vary from the ground layer (up to 2 m) up to several hundred meters, it depends on the state of the lower layers of the atmosphere (wind speed, air and soil temperature, time of day, etc.). In connection with which it can be argued that when peat bogs are burning, to protect from smoke, climb onto the roof of a skyscraper in daytime not advisable. However, one cannot but agree with the statement that upper floors The gas pollution situation is much calmer, especially at night, morning and evening with light winds.
This is the most used vegetable oil in the world, after soybeans: it costs little to grow and has a high yield. One hectare can produce up to seven tonnes of oil, much more than can be extracted from other oilseed crops such as corn, soybeans and canola.
From June to September, the dry season, a sad ritual is consumed here every year: death fires in the forests to make way for endless plantations of the Arabian palm, from which the pulp is extracted to make paper, or from a special variety of palm trees that produces large rich red fruit oil, namely palm oil. A burning fire from the hands of a person, which often turns into flare-ups out of control. Thousands of tropical vegetation smoke every year, creating huge clouds of ash and dust that flow into Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and other neighboring countries, making the air irresistible for hundreds of miles.
The influence of combustion products of peat bogs on the human body
It is important to understand how products forest and peat fires affect our body. Large soot particles can be easily dealt with using a medical bandage. It will protect our bronchi and lungs from particles whose chemical nature is relatively acidic. To prevent a sore throat, it is enough to rinse with a weak alkaline solution (for example, a 5% solution baking soda), acceptance hygienic shower, wet cleaning of the premises. It is much more difficult to deal with carbon compounds and other associated gases. It should be remembered that a cotton-gauze bandage or medical bandage does not protect against this, but rather aggravates the person’s condition, as it creates breathing resistance and reduces gas exchange in the lungs. For example, from the experience of managing a normal developed person the volume of the lungs ranges from 2400 to 3600 cm3, and the breathing resistance in a gas mask reaches 80 mm of water column, in a bandage it is slightly lower. Therefore, wearing a protective mask for a long time can be compared to helping a person suffocate with a noose that we squeeze on his throat. Therefore, the person himself must determine his own behavior during the period of forest peat fires. How much time is spent outside, how long indoors, how long in public transport, how long to wear a bandage. The main criterion is the state of the body (young or old, sick or healthy) and well-being (fatigue, dizziness or headaches).
As shown by shocking satellite images taken in June. Huge stock organic material, which covers a large amount of carbon. Those who want to develop new plantations, often illegally, first “dry up” the peat bogs by building drainage channels, so the “land reclamation” is set on fire.
Plantations often replace rainforests, kill endangered species, destroy local communities and release climate-changing gases. Especially due to its palm oil production, Indonesia is the third country in the world to emit greenhouse gases after the United States and China. We ask that he at least expel the producers who caused the recent forest fires.
Currently, no studies have been published on the harmful effects of smoke (smog) on the human body and the development of chronic diseases. It is possible only on household level hear stories of deterioration general condition health from the summer heat when the peat bogs are burning. And this fact should alert you and me, since a Russian will not cross himself until thunder strikes. Therefore, our experienced specialists offer some rules that can be accepted or ignored.
We hope that Greenpeace will begin to apply the same vigilance in these areas. The controversy, in fact, puts the spotlight on other and less visible protagonists of Indonesia's forest scum. As large industries, increasingly controlled by the media and governments, gradually abandon the most dubious practices and dubious concessions, they give way to "middle class" entrepreneurs ready to replace the big ones and use the practice of the so-called slash burn, size and burn. “They buy land with informal contracts at the village level, thereby bypassing the system of government concessions on officially public lands,” says a study by the World Agroforestry Centre. Therefore, they use non-local labor to “clean” the soil and prepare it for oil palm cultivation illegally.
Methods of protection against smoke during forest and peat fires
- If possible, temporarily leave the smoke zone caused by forest or peat fires.
- Minimize exposure to the open air. Especially early in the morning. Concentration in the morning harmful substances the biggest one in the air. Don't jog in the morning.
- It is recommended to consume fermented milk products, salted and alkaline water. And forget about sweet soda.
- It is very important to take multivitamins (if there are no contraindications).
- If the burning smell intensifies, it is recommended to wear protective masks. And cover window and door openings with damp cloth (sheets, gauze). This especially applies to older people, those who suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases, and allergies.
- It is better to carry out wet cleaning indoors. At least once a day.
- Take a shower several times a day.
- Rinse your nose and throat frequently. You can use sea water or saline solution.
- In food, give preference to fruits and vegetables rich in minerals.
- Don't drink alcohol. Limit your smoking. This provokes the development of acute and chronic diseases of the respiratory system.
- If you experience shortness of breath or cough, do not hesitate and consult a doctor.
- If you have a chronic illness, follow your doctor's instructions strictly.
- Use rooms where there is air purification and air conditioning.
- Take walks in the forested area more often.
In the summer of 2010, in the central part of Russia, due to abnormal heat and lack of precipitation, peat fires. There was a strong smog in Moscow.
Peat fires in the Moscow region were accompanied by a burning smell and strong smog in Moscow. The concentration of pollutants exceeded the maximum limit several times, including carbon monoxide– more than 7 times. Half the city wore gauze bandages, which were in high demand. The most severe fires were recorded in the Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Mordovia, Sverdlovsk, Kirov, Tver, Kaluga and Pskov regions were also affected. The root cause of fires and the appearance of smoke and smog was prolonged heat, which began in May, and the lack of precipitation. In addition, a critical situation was caused by the State Commission on electrification of Russia extraction of peat by draining swamps in the central part of Russia. Subsequently, the peat developments began to close, but were not filled with water. After the series major fires in the summer of 1972, the peatlands began to flood. But in the early 1990s, these works were stopped, which led to the re-emergence of fires in 2002. Low humidity - less than 40% - can lead to spontaneous combustion of peat. And yet, the cause of 90% of peat fires is the human factor: discarded unextinguished cigarette butts and matches. Difficulty of extinguishing peat fires that the fire occurs underground. Accordingly, it is necessary to bring water to the peat layer. However, as a result of combustion, peat becomes hydrophobic, that is, water passes past the peat into the depths.
In this confusing climate, fires on the island of Sumatra, especially in Riau province, are far from extinguished. “It is very likely that periods of severe rabies will recur, as they did last month,” the World Resources Institute said in a report. " Forest fires"This is an endemic problem in Indonesia that will require comprehensive and coordinated solutions."
In fact, we are one of the leading consumers of pulp from China and the third largest consumer of palm oil in European level after Great Britain and Holland. On our supermarket shelves, such as vending machines or perfumes, we accumulate industrial products containing raw materials from the destruction of Indonesian forests. Greenpeace's goal is to reshape the supply chain, the track that connects peat bogs to food that ends up in our homes.
Features of peat fires
Peat bogs are swamps, where, due to high humidity and lack of oxygen, plants do not decompose completely, but form a homogeneous brown mass - peat. Peat fires spread very slowly and can continue for several years.
Peat bogs burn very rarely, because the lower layers of peat are in water even in the hottest period. Source of origin peat fire almost always a person. He leaves unextinguished fires, throws unextinguished cigarette butts and matches. Fires are often caused by sparks from cars and motorcycles. A peat fire does not start immediately; it takes time from occurrence to detection long time, so its culprits often remain unknown. One of the main causes of peat fires recently is spring fallen dry grass.
Old and cracked bark on tree stems should be peeled back to healthy tissue and burned. You can do this with a wire brush or a large, not very sharp knife to avoid injury. This way you will be eliminating overwintering fruit worm caterpillars and other pests that are there in the winter.
Before frost, thin stems and thick skeletal branches of the garden with 20 percent lime from limestone and water - 2 kg of lime lime per 10 liters of water. This preventative measure against uneven heat of the stems during the day and cracking of the wood. YOU ARE PROTECTED BY YOUNG HUNTS AND DIRECT.
The particular danger of a peat fire is, first and foremost, heavy smoke, which can be hundreds and thousands of times greater than the amount of smoke in a normal fire. In addition, smoke from peat fires does not rise upward, but remains below. It can spread over several hundred kilometers. And the consequences of this smoke affect us. For example, in a few weeks of smog in Moscow, the death rate doubled. Secondly, a peat fire can last a very long time, and if you don’t put it out at the very beginning, it’s extremely difficult to do so later. Complications arise from the fact that drained peatlands were often given over to gardening societies. And in the event of a fire, the fire leads to human casualties.
Protect young trees from rabbits, field mice and others. rodents wrap stems with corrugated cardboard, soft mesh or other suitable materials. To fight Polish mice around tree stems while creating active movements, poisonous baits. If you keep fruit seedlings outdoors in the spring, surround them with netting to protect them from rabbit damage.
In the fall, white fruit trees add soap, glue and more. materials in solution when cutting lime is not good practice. They have a bad side because they change good quality lime solution - cessation of gas exchange through the pores of tree bark, which is a necessary condition for tree health.
Another feature of a peat fire is that the peat itself practically does not burn. It only smolders, emitting a large amount of smoke. The rate of such decay is no more than several tens of centimeters per day. As a rule, a peat fire covers only the upper layers up to 30-50 cm in depth. Peat smoldering continues in winter. Since peat has high thermal insulation, it is still warm a few centimeters deep. Only when the snow melts in the spring can the fire stop.
For fruit trees the only acceptable and useful admixture of lime is copper or ferrous sulfate. Applying the stems of fertile linden trees, although very useful, takes a long time, so this spread occurs on bad dark days when no other work can be done.
Is there an advantage to spring tree trunks? There are different opinions on this issue, and we will give you one of them. According to some experts, spring lime protects trees from early spring sunburn on the bark. In other words, there is no need to empty trees in April since the danger of sunburn has already passed. Thus, overnight whitening can only be used for exterior finishing.
To extinguish a peat fire At an early stage, it is necessary to dig up the smoldering peat, take it to the nearest body of water and mix it with water. If there is no reservoir, you can mix peat with sand or clay. When extinguishing a deep peat fire, it is necessary to either flood the burning area or dig deep ditches filled with water around the burning peat. After the fire extinguishing work has been carried out, it is necessary to check within a week whether the fire has really been extinguished. To do this, it is necessary to determine the temperature and humidity of the peat: it must be cold and wet.
But there is another important circumstance here. Scientific research showed that young trees with smooth bark not only do not need liming, but, on the contrary, they are even harmful. It turns out that whitewashed trees grow slower. With them, the stem slowly thickens, the pores are clogged, and gas exchange is difficult.
However, it is different when old trees are twisting. Their stems already have rough, cracked bark, which serves as a shelter for many pests. They are allowed to be calcareous because it serves as a disinfectant for the wood and to control mosses and lichens.
