Nitrogen Oxide Emissions As a Major Threat to Our Ozone Layer

By Maria Sn

Nitrogen oxide which is a combination of oxygen and nitrogen is one of the most important contribute to air pollution. It is very harmful to human beings and plays a major role in depleting the ozone layer of the atmosphere. As many factories use coal plants for producing energy and power, nitrogen oxide is emitted in large quantities. It is even formed by the engine combustion of motor vehicles. The main impacts of nitrogen oxide emissions are global warming, acid rains, toxic chemicals in the atmosphere and it has an adverse effect in the growth of plants. Nitrogen oxide emissions in small quantities can initiate symptoms of nausea and eye or nose irritations and can even cause shortness of breath too. Inhaling larger amounts of nitrogen oxide can lead to fluid build-up in the lungs and burning spasms.

Along with problems in respiration, it can even be a cause of visual impairment also. So it is very important to take the right precautions to save yourselves and the community from the harmful impact of nitrogen oxide emissions. If every human decides to put in his best to save the world from pollution, it will definitely work wonders. It is impossible to stop vehicles from running our factories to stop functioning. Even then a little care and self-control can help each one of us put in their best to save the world and give better living conditions for generations to come. Options like car pool is a good choice as it can drastically reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions from motor vehicles. Power sources that are non-polluting can be used. Smoke from cigarettes is another contributing factor; hence the decision to quit smoking will save yourselves as well as the community.

If the pollution is on a larger scale, it is better to go in for products that help in controlling nitrogen oxide in the air. Specially, manufactured design and advanced technologies help with treatments of these poisonous gases emitted and controls the impact of these gases in the atmosphere. Today there are a lot of technologies that are developed to control NOx. It can be done with combustion modification where air and fuel are mixed and the temperature reduced by this process. In post combustion, it is converted in the boiler and nitrogen is inserted. So for larger industries like chemical plants, marine vessels, diesel engines, oil refineries, power plants, and paper mills where it is emitted in large quantities, it is ideal to install technology for combustion control to reduce Nox. Now a day's low NOx burners are available and it enables to cope up with the present regulatory requirements.

Tomorrow the rules and regulations may get even stricter, keeping in mind the condition of world today, it is better to go in for excellent quality nitrogen oxide emissions control system. Natural gas re-burning also helps in reducing NOx in the air. It is wise to follow all the rules and regulations as per the NOx RACT, so as to provide a healthy world with good air to breathe. So let us all stand hand in hand to bid a grand farewell to the smog which has been our uninvited guest and we were the main culprits who welcomed them to our atmosphere.

Cleaners Products And The Environment

By Jerry Saddington

When we use cleaners in our houses and offices we rarely give a thought to the products we are actually using. We simply want a clean, hygienic space in which to live and work. The products we use, however, are having a long-term impact on the environment that many people are largely unaware of.

Chemical cleaners are designed to kill germs and organisms, that's how they get rid of the grease, grime and smells. The trouble is that a proportion of the chemicals is rinsed away down drains and plugs, and whilst the amounts may seem trivial to individuals, the accumulated waste coming out of the drainage systems of towns and cities presents a significant and long-term hazard. The waste finds its way in to rivers, lakes and in to the water table, where it affects the plants and animal life it comes in to contact with.

There are several chemicals used in cleaners that are creating this ill effect, notably Ammonia and 2-butoxyethanol (EGBE), whose effects include:

Excessive ammonia causes the rate at which the cells in plants progress to accelerate. This means that plants grow and decay more quickly than they should, resulting in unnatural growth phases. The plants that can cope best with this are weeds, which then supplant other types and dominate the area. In farming areas this can have a devastating effect on crops, and in wild areas throw the eco-system out of balance as animals and insects that rely on the plants are also displaced.

Too much ammonia creates very acidic soil, which is poisonous to many plant species and also results in the collapse of local eco-systems.

Affects animal life as the chemicals have been shown to be endocrine disruptors. Simply put, the endocrine system carries important fluids around a body, and when it fails to work properly the body does not develop and function as it should. This is seen particularly in reproductive organs, with the result of more deformed offspring and a decline in birth rates of all forms of animals, including fish and mammals. In severe cases of pollution this can devastate entire eco-systems in the affected areas.

Whilst the short life span of EGBEs as an active chemical mean it has a much smaller effect on the environment, large accumulations and regular exposure to creatures in the affected areas have resulted in a significant increase in cancers in those animal populations.

Packaging

Interestingly, one of the greatest environmental hazards comes not from the cleaning products themselves, but the packaging they come in. The plastic that can withstand the corrosive effects of the stronger cleaners contains molecules known as Phthalates. This molecule is known to affect the reproductive systems of animals and lead to abnormalities in offspring. It does not bind easily to the other components of plastic, so has a marked tendency to leach out over time. They are then released in to the environment along with the cleaning product itself. This is also a concern for people who regularly handle the containers and is a good reason for wearing gloves and masks when doing so. Old drums and containers are often used by farmers for livestock feed, and in this way phthalates can enter the food chain, presenting yet more hazards.

A growing consumer awareness of the polluting effect of many of the everyday cleaners we take for granted has led to a growing call to use "Green" cleaners. These are cleaning products that don't have the same detrimental effect on the environment, and are based mainly on lemon juice, vinegar and caustic soda. The more benign nature of the products means alternative plastics can also be used in the packaging, removing that particular hazard as well.

Brighton Cleaners are a Brighton based office cleaning company with a wealth of experience to share to help you keep your workspace clean and in top condition. Click on the link to find out more:http://www.smartcleanservices.co.uk/office_cleaners_brighton.htm

Symptoms of a MCL Ligament Injury

By Derick Ng

There are four ligaments that provide stability to the knee joints. They are the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate, lateral collateral ligament and medial collateral ligament. The main function of the medial collateral ligament is to prevent the knee from hyper-extension inwards and allow rotation to happen. However when the MCL is overstretched due to trauma, it can tear quite easily. A tear to the MCL can be on its own but it is more commonly in conjunction with a tear to the ACL and meniscus.

The first symptom following an injury to the MCL injury is pain. Pain will be quite severe over the inside of the side of the knee where the MCL is located. Swelling will be evident and bruising may occur a few days after the MCL injury. In serious cases of MCL injuries, you may even experience shakiness of the knee and feel like the knee is unable to take your body's weight and is giving way.

There are 3 different grades of MCL injury ranging from grade 1 to grade 3. In grade 1 injuries, the MCL is merely injured and is not torn. As such, symptoms are pretty mild with swelling, bruising and pain being the most common ones. Most patients are able to return back to sports within a few weeks. In grade 2 MCL injuries, the MCL is still not torn but injury to it is much more extensive. Symptoms of instability will occur in grade 2 injuries and the pain will be much more compared to grade 1. This usually occurs during high speed sudden turning when the foot is still stuck to the ground while the knee is attempting to change direction. Nearly one month worth of recovery time is required to recover from a grade 2 MCL injuries. A grade 3 MCL injury is the worst. It implies a complete tear of the MCL and sometimes, tears to other ligaments such as the ACL and meniscus will accompany it. Pain will be quite unbearable and the knee will be very unstable and will seem unable to take the body's weight. A knee brace will be required to provide additional support and if other ligaments are torn as well, it will complicate thing and surgery will be the most viable option.

Knee ligaments are crucial in the stabilisation of our knee joint and allow us to carry out our daily motion without any hindrances. A MCL injury will have a negative impact on it and will cause us to have difficulties doing even basic things.

We introduce you Singapore Sports and Orthopaedics Clinic where professional help will be offered in the areas of diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation for all spine injuries and sports injuries.

Inexpensive Mitigation of Carpal Tunnel in the Workplace

By Nicholas Barone

Perhaps no occupational malady is more studied and less understood than Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Most experts agree that "repetitive action" is a common component and it is clear that keyboard intensive work requires precisely this type of activity. However, there is a large body of clinical study that attributes the problem more directly to genetic or general (seemingly unrelated) health issues such as obesity.

It is clear that an ergonomic keyboard, for example, offers at least the strong possibility of changing the dynamic side of the Syndrome's causes. As well, these keyboards and related products such as gloves and wrist splints, if nothing else, enable users to more comfortably (in the immediate short term, anyway), operate. However, we believe that a more global approach that considers collateral mitigation makes a lot of sense. As well, these complementary practices carry little or no counter party cost concerns.

We have written elsewhere about the serious health issues that have recently been raised by large scale studies of the "sitting disease" phenomenon. As populations become more sedentary (spending more time in cars, sitting in front of the television, clacking away at keyboards at work and home) an American Cancer Society Study over a 10 year period concluded that long periods of "sitting" are as big a health risk as smoking! Especially among women, mortality rates comparing sitting for 6 or more hours a day to 3 hours or less determined that, among a control group of over 70,000 women, death rate during the study was 94% higher among the "sitters".

There are chairs, such as the line designed by Peter Opsvik, that directly address this segment of the issue and their use is highly encouraged. These chairs, which are quite stylish and comfortable themselves nonetheless require more or less constant small adjustment. These adjustments are essentially not "noticed" by the user, but create minute but critical variations in muscle flexion, blood flow and respiratory modulation. When combined with an ergonomic keyboard and, if appropriate, a wrist brace, it is quite easy to set the stage for desk bound worker to labor in a manner that is at once comfortable and significantly much healthier.

As we study work related environmental and ergonomic consequences in space and equipment planning for the modern office, we realize that there is no magic bullet to halt or even palliate Carpal Tunnel Sitting Disease or any of the ills brought on by less active lifestyles. We advocate a suite of solutions that include intelligent seating, smart keyboards and designing work stations and office settings that encourage movement. Where possible it is a great idea to alternate work assignments in a team office and to force breaks and small windows of time to simply "walk around" for thirty seconds every half hour.

Individually, all of the above can have one to one incremental benefit, but when all are brought together in a single environment, genuine synergistic health benefit can be substantial. Its all about getting a grip and moving around.

Event Horizon is a specialist in a sprawling market. The company concentrates its product lines into the very specific electrical outlets, wire systems, grommet selections, data cables, ergonomic keyboards, power configurations and related items called for when systems need to be "user friendly". Nick and his support staff are thoroughly knowledgeable about the technical and practical applications of the products that transform panels and pieces of furniture into cohesive and productive work spaces. Find us athttp://www.eventhorizonpvdc.com