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Health hazard
- Published: 16 May 2012 at 10.29
- Online news: Easier Stuff
The work of police officers is hazardous enough without having to worry about the effects of an old garbage dump next to their police station
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A police officer of the Chalong Krung station wears a face mask to lessen the impact of air pollution from an old waste landfill that is giving off harmful chemicals in Lat Krabang district of Bangkok. KOSOL NAKACHOL
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Health hazard
Police officers accept that their work can be hazardous. They, after all, must deal with some of society's most dangerous people and events.
The hazards are not supposed to include their place of work, however.
Unfortunately, police officers stationed at the Chalong Krung police station in Lat Krabang are suffering from the effects an old garbage dump that is oozing with dangerous chemicals.
The city now plans to move the police station, but for some officers it is too late.
Police at the station have long complained that they are dealing with severe air pollution from the dump. Many of the officers who have worked on the site for more than five years have fallen ill and three of them died in circumstances their co-workers suspect were related to the pollution.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s Health Department has tested the quality of the air in the area and found four hazardous chemicals at dangerous levels.
They are vinyl chloride, benzene, trichloroethylene and dichloroethane. They are carcinogenic and can cause respiratory problems, weakness, dizziness, eye irritation, nausea, lung inflammation, irregular heartbeat, damage to the central nervous system and even death in extreme cases of exposure.
The emissions of these chemicals usually exceed safe levels when they are burned. That still occurs as scrap collectors set fires at the old dump to retrieve metal.
The old garbage dump covers 480,000 square metres. KOSOL NAKACHOL
National police chief Pol Gen Priewpan Damapong has approved the relocation of the Chalong Krung police station temporarily to the compound of the Lad Krabang Industrial Estate for the sake of the officers' health.
The temporary station will be opened in two weeks pending the completion of a new and permanent station elsewhere in two years.
After moving the police station, the BMA plans to clean up the 480,000 square metre landfill in hopes of ensuring that it does not pose a danger in the future.
Adapted from a story in today’s Bangkok Post.
lessen – to reduce; to make something become smaller, weaker, less important, etc. ทำให้น้อยลง
impact – an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
landfill – an area of land where large amounts of waste material are buried under the earth
hazard – something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage สิ่งที่เป็นอันตราย
hazardous – dangerous, especially to people’s health or safety ที่เป็นอันตราย
deal with – to take action to solve a problem จัดการปัญหา
unfortunately – making you sad or disappointed เป็นที่น่าเสียดาย
station – to cause, especially soldiers or police, to be in a particular place to do a job ตั้งฐานปฎิบัติการ,ตั้งประจำ
suffer – to be badly affected by a very difficult or unpleasant situation ประสบความลำบาก
oozing – slowing flowing out from a place ไหลซึม, ซึมออก, รั่ว
complain – to say that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied about somebody/something บ่น, ร้องทุกข์
severe – very serious and unpleasant รุนแรง
site – a place where something is located สถานที่
circumstances – facts or conditions that affect a situation เหตุการณ์แวดล้อม
co-worker – a person that somebody works with, doing the same kind of job ผู้ร่วมงาน
suspect – to believe that something is true, especially something bad สงสัย
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) – the local government of Bangkok กรุงเทพมหานคร
quality – the standard of something when it is compared to other things like it; how good or bad something is คุณภาพ
level – the amount of something that exists in a particular situation at a particular time ระดับ
carcinogenic – likely to cause cancer ที่ทำให้เกิดมะเร็ง, ที่เป็นสาเหตุให้เกิดมะเร็ง
respiratory – involving breathing เกี่ยวกับการหายใจ
dizziness – feeling as if everything is spinning around you and that you are not able to balance เวียนศีรษะ
irritation – a painful feeling in a part of the body, often with red skin or swelling การทำให้ระคายเคือง,การยั่วโทสะ,การกวนประสาท,การทำให้ฉุนเฉียว,ความระคายเคือง,การอักเสบ
nausea – the feeling that you are going to vomit (throw up food from the stomach) อาการคลื่นไส้
lung – one of the two organs in your chest that fill with air when you breathe ปอด
inflammation – a red, painful and often swollen area in or on a part of your body การอักเสบ, การติดเชื้อ
irregular – (of behaviour or actions) not according to usual rules or what is expected
heartbeat – the movement or sound of the heart as it sends blood around the body การเต้นของหัวใจ
nervous system – the system of all the nerves in the body ระบบประสาท
extreme – much more severe or serious than usual ที่รุนแรงที่สุด
exposure – the state of being put into a situation in which something harmful or dangerous might affect you การสัมผัส, การเปิดรับ
emissions – gases going into the air การปล่อยก๊าซเสียสู่ท้องฟ้า
exceed – to be more than something; to go beyond a limit เกินกว่าที่กำหนด
scrap – old metal or paper that can be used again after going through a special process เหล็กเก่า ๆ สำหรับหล่อหลอมและเปลี่ยนรูปใหม่,เศษเหล็ก, เป็นชิ้นเล็กชิ้นน้อย
retrieve – to get something back, especially something that is not easy to find or get ได้กลับคืนมา
approve – to give official permission อนุมัต
relocation – the process of moving someone or something to a new place การย้ายที่ใหม่
temporarily – for a limited period of time ชั่วคราว
compound – an area enclosed by a fence or wall in which people work or live บริเวณ
industrial estate – an area of land where industrial companies have their buildings นิคมอุตสาหกรรม
for the sake of – for the benefit or good of someone or something ผลประโยชน์
pending – waiting to be dealt with, settled or completed ยังค้างอยู่, ซึ่งยังไม่จบสิ้น, อยู่ในระหว่าง
permanent – happening or existing for a long time or for all time in the future ถาวร
ensure – to make certain that something happens or is done ให้การยืนยัน, รับรอง, ให้ความมั่นใจ
pose a danger – to be a possible danger อาจก่อให้เกิดอันตรายต่อ
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