Health risk in my community in Florida
I live in Florida State near a phosphate fertilizer manufacturing company. Lately, there have been complaints from local farmers that their cattle’s teeth are browning. Local veterinary doctors have suggested that the disease is coming as a result of the over ingestion of fluoride by the cows. Some local scientists have established that the problem did not exist in previous years and it might be coming from poor effluent disposal from the fertilizer company.
Delegates representing the local people were dispatched to the factory directors to enquire how they manage their wastes but no clear explanation was given. There is fear among the members of the community that the problem might be escalated to their health especially pregnant mothers and children below the age of two years.
As Brown and Gunter (2000) note, Fluorine is a major by-product emitted by fertilizer factories specializing in the production of phosphate fertilizers. It can be emitted into the air and thus contaminate the air animals including human beings breathe. Studies have established that this leads to serious health complications like stillbirths, cancer, lungs complications and miscarriages (Gunter, 2004). Children below the age of two years succumb to death if exposed to the dangerous gas for more than six months.
Bryson (1998), adds that wastes can also be released as liquid effluent which later percolates to the soil and water channels and poisons it. One in the soil, vegetables absorb it and pass it to human beings and animals when ingested. Animals are particularly affected because they feed directly from the poisoned grass. Milk from the cows is also contaminated and can affect a number of people in the neighborhood.
Short-term effects have already been identified. A report by the local dispensary indicates that there have been a growing number of patients complaining about breathing problems. Stomachaches complaints has also shot up and local doctors are now fearing that the cause might be coming from the nearby factory. The long-term effects of fluoride emissions are serious and locals are living with fear for their health.
The solution to the problem
The solution to the health issue is to write a letter to the director of the US Environmental Protection Agency in Florida. His office has the powers to order a detailed and comprehensive laboratory experiment to prove or disapprove the presence of the killer chemical. It would not make a lot of sense to write to the state secretary of health since they work from the recommendations of the agency. The US Environmental Protection Agency also has sophisticated laboratory equipment to test such chemicals (Bryson, 1998).
Letter to director US Environmental Protection Agency in Florida
Jeremiah Leopard
New Port
The Director US Environmental Protection Agency, Florida
Tallahassee.
Dear sir/Madam,
Re: Attention to Save the Lives of People in Northern Florida
I am writing to ask that your office hinder to the cries of the people in northern Florida State. After carefully analyzing the chain of command that will change the situation in my community, I realized that your office was the most suitable for the task.
As you are aware, there is a big fertilizer company located near the port in northern Florida. of late, there has been numerous complaints by the locals of frequent ailments suspected by local medics to be a s a result of poor waste management by the factory. We did anything we could to convince the local office to conduct adequate research but our efforts were not successful. The people are expecting help from your office since I understand the state ministry of health works from your recommendations. Kindly consider this request to prevent a major calamity to the people of Florida and America as a whole.
Yours faithfully.
References
Brown, P. Gunter, J, (2000), Knowledge, Citizens and Organizations: An Overview of Environments, Diseases, and Social Conflict. Massachusetts, Massachusetts university press.
Bryson, C. (1998) “The Donora Fluoride Fog: A Secret History of America’s Worst Air Pollution Disaster.” New York, John Wiley and sons.
Gunter, K, (2004), Illness and the Environment: A Reader in Contested Medicine. NewYork: New York University Press.