Impacts of Carbon Dioxide on Humans

Now a days the major issue of the world is the enhanced greenhouse effect . The greenhouse effect is increased due to increased concentration of GHG’s emissions . In GHG the most powerful gas the co2 is released from the burning of fossil fuel like coal . The coal is burned and at a very high level the concentartion of co2 is added to atmosphere which is producing severe disorders in human like respiratory diseases and increased heart rate leading to cardiac issues . Morever disturbing climate system which is disturbing human health .

At present, there is continuous discussion on climate change and the emission of green house gases specially co2 that have high power of ultra violet radiations that are leading to extreme effects on humans and their environment.This takes all the attentions of many global studies,publications and articles.Green house gases seems to be the main effecting force of climate change. Carbon dioxide is very lethal if its concentration increases to very high amount said by the united states environmental protection agency (USEPA 2016).The green house gas carbon dioxide is mostly emitted by power plants accounting 380billion tons of total GHG emissions (Thind et al.2013).If the amount of carbon dioxide increases in such rate,it will displace oxygen from atmosphere, it will contribute to toxicity (Rice et al.2004). The increase in concentration of carbon dioxide will lead to allergies and for every 1degree rise in temperature that is caused by carbon dioxide.As the temperature rises the chances of cancer majorily skin cancer increases by 20-30 percent (Kalaugher et al.2008).Moreover the exposure of the body to the very high concentration (short term or long term) may leads to the symptoms of axphyxication ,forstible,coma and kidney damage may occur (Thind et al.2013).. According to geological studies not only the anthropogenic activities, natural forces also contribute to the carbon dioxide but this contribution is less as compared to the anthropogenic activities. At present due to increased human activities the amount of the carbon dioxide in fresh air or ambient air is about 400 ppm (Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center 2015).The bearable concentration of carbon dioxide or the surrounding area depends upon the exposure duration is 0.5to 3 percent (Shusterman et.al.1997). The atmosphere have naturally presnt carbon dioxide 0.3 to 0.006 percent. It is ver stable and non flammable compound ( Keeling et.al.1995).

A number of deaths reported due to high concentration of carbon dioxide based on occupational exposure (Scott et al.2009). Carbon dioxide is mostly considered as a waste product of blood which help to regulate the rate of breathing. If the concentration of carbon dioxide increases in blood or tissue PH which causes the effect on cardiovascular or respiratory disorder (Echenhoff et al.1995). High exposure to carbon dioxide disturbs the PH which in return causes Hyperventilation or Headache (OSHA 2012). If a person is exposed to 1-5 percent carbon dioxide for a short period of time it will lead to the symptoms of Dyspnea (shortness of breath), lung damage, alterations to urine systems, headache and visual impairment ( Guais et al.2011).

The long term effects of carbon dioxide includes the sign of breathing sustainted elevated compensation mechanism in the body of humans. Not only the metabolism mechanism but also the blood compensatory mechanism which include PH buffering system also affected by increased concentration of carbon dioxide (Jurnado et al.2014). The concentration of carbon dioxide at 1000 ppm for longer period of time causes the carbon dioxide associated diseases like Wheezing, Asthma, Rales ,Sneezing (Ferreira et al.2014).

The earth atmosphere has reached carbon dioxide level that causes the humans difficult to breathe easily . In the earlier pre-primate epochs, the increased concentration of carbon dioxide has been found to be the cause of mass extinction events (Knoll et.al.1996). .

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The increased concentration of carbon dioxide at working time in coal burning power plant predicated increased mortality and lack of efficiency in individuals respiratory regulatory systems ( Brillanate, 2012). In humans the carbon dioxide plays a significant role in oxidative species (ROS) ( Ezraty et al. 2011). The disturbance in ROS will lead to atherosclerosis, chronic inflammation and Alzheimer disease.

Description of study area sahiwal coal power plant is a coal burning power plant which is located in the province of punjab. It is the only coal burning power plant in punjabs region . The installed capacity of coal burning power plant station is 320MW . Daily 5 trains consisting of 8 compartments bring coal for the plant. They burn the coal and produce electricity . When the coal is burned , the carbon dioxide concentration increases to a very high amount along with other green house Gases . The technique named as AMBORE is CO2-100is used . This is a instrument which is used to detect the concentration of a gas at a area . Ambore is a instrument with a self calibration capability of +- 300ppm +- 5 % reading . The concentration of carbon dioxide is checked at working hour and non working hour . At working time ,when the coal is burning the exhaust is emitted into atmosphere through chimneys , the amount increased to 1000ppm . Moreover another device or instrument called as infrared sensor also used to check the concentration of carbon dioxide at coal power plant . As carbon dioxide increases at the area , temprature also increases because it has more absorbing power of radiations than any other green house gas .

An infrared sensor is an electronic device that is used to sense certain characteristics of its surroundigs. It does it either by emitting or detecting infrared radiations. Infrared Sensors are also capable of measuring the heat being emitted by an object and detecting motion . Instant feed back with co2 level with additional temprature and humidity measurement . Built in alarm warns against dangerous co2 levels .

By using two instruments ambore and infrared sensors , the amount of co2 that is released per day due to burning of coal in sahiwal coal power plant is 500ppm/day. This per day addition of co2 to surrounding area of sahiwal is causing severe impacts on workers of the plant or people surrounding the station .

Co2 is the major green house gas that is released due to combustion of the coal burning power plant .As carbon dioxide has the most absorbing power than other gases that is why the temprature of green house sahiwal power station and its surrounding area is much more as compared to other area . The carbon dioxide emitting from the chimneys of sahiwal power station is directly affecting the people causing in them the major disorders like suffocation , increased heart rate and respiratory disorders.

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