No carcinogens in State's atmosphere, says MPCB
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 29 2013:
Even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that 'the air we breathe in is full of carcinogenic substances', the Manipur Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has claimed that atmosphere in Manipur has no carcinogens though it is polluted.
Contrary to the MPCB's claim, data collected by population based Cancer Registry, Imphal in 2010 said that lung cancer caused by inhaling polluted air account for the maximum number of cancer cases in Manipur.
Dr Mohen, principal investigator of the population based cancer registry set up at RIMS in 2003 said that lung cancer accounted for 32.1 per cent of all cancer cases according to data collected in 2010 .
Out of the 32.1 per cent lung cancer cases, males accounted for 17.8 per cent and females 14.3 per cent.
Of all the cancer cases, stomach cancer accounted for 12.3 per cent with women constituting 4.1 per cent and men 8.2 per cent.
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Naso pharynx cancer caused by inhaling smoke emitted by burning pine wood and piping tobacco pots known as Tuibur constitutes 8.5 per cent of all cancer cases.
6.3 per cent of the naso pharynx cancer patients are males while females constitute 2.2 per cent.
The population based cancer registry collects data from Babina Diagnostic Centre, RIMS, JNIMS, district hospitals as well as private hospitals.
In addition, data are collected from Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai, and B Baruah Cancer Hospital, Guwahati.
Lung cancer accounts for maximum number of cancer cases because of not only smoking habit but also inhaling smoke emitted from burning plastics which according to Dr Mohen is a common practice in Manipur.
Smokes emitted from burning plastics contain carcinogenic substances.
On the other hand, MPCB Senior Environmental Officer T Mangi told The Sangai Express that smoke emitted from motor vehicles is the biggest factor for air pollution in Manipur.
Yet, smoke emitted from motor vehicles after fusing with the atmosphere does not form carcinogenic elements, Mangi said.
The volume of suspended particulate matter found in atmosphere in Manipur is within the permissible limit given by WHO.
Soil texture of Manipur is more of clay type and because of such soil texture, large volumes of dust are present in the atmosphere.
Although MPCB has been claiming that no carcinogenic substance is present in the atmosphere in Manipur, it has no instrument to check presence of carcinogenic substances in the air.
It would not be easy to purchase such an instrument for it is very costly, Mangi said.
Whatever instruments available with MPCB at present are for measuring suspended particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
To detect presence of carcinogenic substances, the existing instruments need to be upgraded.
But there is no urgency to upgrade the instruments right now, Mangi added.