|
Repopulating New Orleans at Any Cost
Click for full text of article:
Repopulating New Orleans at Any Cost
http://www.alternet.org/katrina/26969/
By Michelle Chen, New Standard News. Posted October 18, 2005.
"Residents and workers are rebuilding the city in the shadow of toxic contamination, even as officials at all levels give mixed messages about the wisdom of returning to the area.
According to sampling data from the Environmental Protection Agency, sediment left over from Katrina's floodwaters harbors fuel components, metals, pesticides and other chemicals. Many contaminants could potentially cause acute and chronic health effects, including nervous system damage and cancer, and some are steadily evaporating into the air that residents are breathing.
Meanwhile, splotches of fuzzy mold consume walls, ceilings and furniture. Indoor mold spores can cause or aggravate respiratory illnesses, especially in people with weak immune systems, and emit chemicals known as mycotoxins, which studies have tied to debilitating illnesses...
"You have a real gemischt in these houses," said David Straus, a microbiologist and mold specialist at Texas Technical University, of the mix of biological and chemical substances. "It's not just mold. You have all these other potential toxins." He pointed out the possibility of "a synergistic effect" as airborne mold compounds the effects of chemical pollutants."
|
