Baguio Drivers’ Blood
Contaminated with Lead, Study Shows
Lead, a heavy metal
believed to be a health hazard, is found in Baguio drivers' blood samples,
a study presented at an academic forum at the University of the
Philippines (UP) in this city shows. The study, “Incidence of Lead in the
Blood of Jeepney Drivers in Baguio City” by Dr. Benilda Narcelles of the
University of Baguio (UB), elicited concern from forum participants who
tackled issues surrounding the proposal for the pedestrianization of
Session Road, the city's main business street, as the focus of
discussions.
BY LYN V. RAMO
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY (246 kms.
north of Manila) – Lead, a heavy metal believed to be a health hazard, is
found in Baguio drivers' blood samples, a study presented at an academic
forum at the University of the Philippines (UP) here shows.
The study, “Incidence
of Lead in the Blood of Jeepney Drivers in Baguio City” by Dr. Benilda
Narcelles of the University of Baguio (UB), elicited concern from forum
participants who tackled issues surrounding the proposal for the
pedestrianization of Session Road, the city's main business street, as the
focus of discussions.
Narcelles noted lead
in blood samples taken from all 43 volunteer drivers plying the Aurora
Hill-Plaza route. Three of the drivers subjected to the study showed
varying toxicity in their blood samples. Certain ailments associated with
lead contamination were also noted by Narcelles in her paper.
Narcelles said
drivers with the greatest lead content in their blood samples tend to
suffer from kidney diseases, rheumatism, back pain and dizziness. Those
with moderate lead contamination had respiratory ailments while those with
cardio-vascular disease had the least. Narcelles noted that those with
cardio-vascular ailments are more likely to have ceased driving; thus,
they are the least exposed to pollution.
What worries
Narcelles is her discovery that even unleaded gasoline contains some 0.003
to 0.006 percent of lead.
In a separate
interview with Perfecto Itliong, president of the Federation of Jeepney
Operators and Drivers of Baguio and La Union, he revealed that drivers
usually sip gasoline from the tank to siphon the remaining fluid for
washing their tools or hands. He said he wanted all drivers tested for
lead to determine the extent of their exposure.
Narcelles, said, she
is willing to undertake the study if the drivers' federation would finance
her study, which she said would cost a fortune. The test for the 43
drivers was done through an academic grant she accessed for the paper.
Corroborating
Narcelles' findings, Dr. Ofelia dela Cruz of the UP Baguio Natural Science
Department, said that lead poses danger not only to Baguio drivers but
also to the country's populace because of dirty fuel used by most vehicles
on the streets.
Dela Cruz expressed
concern over a study involving hazards to children. According to Narcelles,
lead affects the child's nervous system causing learning disabilities,
speech, language and behavioral problems, poor muscle coordination, and
worst, brain damage.
In adults, nerves,
memory and concentration problems occur due to lead contamination. High
blood pressure, digestive disturbances, muscle and joint pains, decrease
in sperm production, and cataract also emerge due to lead in the human
system, according to the study.
“Lead in the blood
indicates danger,” Narcelles quoted a medical professional as saying. She
blames the poor quality of fuel for the presence of lead but she did not
discount the possibility that another source of contamination is the
plumbing system of the city.
Dr. Florence Reyes of
the Department of Health (DoH) said the results of the tests may be
tolerable but should not be a reason for complacency. She disclosed the
need for vigilance in DoH inspection and monitoring of the city's water
supply because of antiquated metal pipelines.
Presenters during the
forum tackled issues such as air pollution, the proliferation of street
vendors, lower revenues for business enterprises, and the emergence of
criminality, on one hand; and the sense of history and of place and of
belonging, the accessibility of streets to the public, traffic situation,
parking spaces and security on the other.
One paper, “To Walk
or not to Walk,” presented by UP Baguio's Katti Sta. Ana, cited an earlier
study by Maryann Alabanza showing a high level of pollution in Session
Road. Sta. Ana is with the School of Urban and Regional Planning in UP
Diliman. She advocated walking due to spatial requirements and pollution
issues associated with motorized vehicles. .
The forum was
sponsored by the Energy and Clean Air Network of the Academe (Ecademe), a
group of academic institutions in Baguio and Benguet. Northern Dispatch
/ Posted by Bulatlat
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