In Southern Japan, in 1968 a large number of people suffered by disfigurement of skin, discolouration, fatigue, numbness, respiratory distress, vomiting and loss of hair. – 10,000 people got affected & some died – Two groups of 121 people each were tested and results were as follows: • It was found that fried food using rice oil produced by Kanemi company was eaten which caused the problem • After 7 months of investigation…. – It was found that the presence of Polychlorinated biphenyl-PCB was the cause for the effects and it was present in the rice oil. – Rice Oil was heated at low pressure to remove the odour thro’ a heat exchanger and a liquid known as KANECHLOR which contained PCB was used for heat transfer – Pipes of the heat exchanger was corroded and led to leakage thro’ those pinholes. – In fact, Kanemi had been replenishing 27 kgs of lost PCB per month for sometime without realizing the seriousness. • Indirect path – this rice was used as chicken-feed and half of one million chickens that were fed died. Other Similar Effects:…
• The temperature effect of the CO2 and water vapour combined together has a long range impact on the global climate. • Because of increased concentration of CO2 and due to much warmer tropical oceans, there may occur cyclones and hurricanes and early snow melt in mountains will cause more floods during monsoon. • Increase in global temperature can adversely effect the world food production. • At higher altitudes in the atmosphere, CO2 undergoes photochemical reactions producing CO, which is drastically dangerous. • CFCs are responsible for 20% increase in warming. This may increase the chances of diseases in humans and animals.
‘Greenhouse Effect’ is defined as ‘The progressive warming up of earth’s surface due to blanketing effect of manmade CO2 in the atmosphere.’ A greenhouse is that body which allows the short wavelength incoming solar radiation to come in, but does not allow the long wave outgoing infra-red radiation to escape. The earth’s atmosphere bottles up the energy of the sun and it acts like a green house, where CO2 acts like a glass windows.