By Gary Lee Murphy, M.S.
Courtesy of Gary Lee Murphy, V
Harmful VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are being emitted into the air in the Sunnyside Community from the new telephone poles that are stacked along the streetway in front of homes. These poles are to be set-up to replace the old poles. We call them telephone poles, but nowadays, everyone uses cell phones, and they have their own towers, and the telephone poles hold electrical power lines, internet lines, and cable/ satellite TV lines. Not much to do for telephones, or land lines.
You go outside first thing in the morning, and boom!
Courtesy of Gary Lee Murphy, III
The fumes hit you right in the nose. You identify that the smell is coming from the telephone poles out front in the ditches. You smell it. “If you smell it, you inhaled it.” If you breathe in too much, you can taste it in your mouth. These vapors that you smell are being emitted from the wood-preservatives used in treating the telephone poles.
VOCs are emissions into the air that are highly reactive and harmful to human health and the environment. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate and disperse in the air. They are found in many products and industries, and can pose harm to human health and the environment. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids.1
The VOCs being emitted from the telephone poles are the wood-preservatives that are used to treat the poles to make them last for a long time. This is what we smell coming from the telephone poles piled alongside the streets. What are these emissions that we smell? According to investigative research, there are (6) possible agents being emitted from the telephone poles:
1. Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)2 is a water-borne solution widely used to make timber highly resistant to pests and fungi, in particular, wood products designed for outdoor use. This chemical is found to have an adverse effect on human health and the environment, due to leaching of arsenic. CCA affects tissues of the brain, lungs, liver, stomach, spleen, kidneys, and reproductive organs.3
2. Pentachlorophenol (PCP)2 poses several health risks. Potential carcinogenicity, damage to the liver and kidneys, and reproductive effects. Acute exposure can cause symptoms like headaches, sweating, and difficulty breathing, while chronic exposure may lead to more serious issues.4
3. Copper naphthenate [Cu(RCOO)2]2 is a copper derivative of naphthenic acid, commonly called salts. This means that Cu(RCOO)2 is made up of (+) and (-) ions/ atoms. Copper naphthenate is most widely used in wood preservation and for protecting against damage by decay, fungi, and insects.5 Exposure to Cu(RCOO)2 can cause symptoms like upset stomach, vomiting, and headaches. Inhalation exposure can irritate the respiratory tract.6
4. DCOI – 4,5-Dichloro-2-N-Octyl-4-Isothiazolin-3-One (DCOI)2 is a biocidal compound used as an antifouling agent, meaning that it is an organic compound used to eliminate odors. A HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE. In aquatic life studies, it has been shown that DCOI exposure can lead to cardiac defects (heart problems), and hepatopancreatic (liver and pancreas problems) changes in aquatic organisms.7 If it harms the fish, it will harm us.
5. Creosote2 poses significant health risks. A potential for cancer, respiratory problems, and effects on the nervous, liver, and kidney systems. Long-term exposure can lead to skin cancer, lung cancer, and scrotal cancer. Exposure to creosote vapors can cause irritation of the respiratory tract.8
When I asked one of the contractors that were setting-up the telephone poles, “what is that smell coming from the poles?” He replied “creosote.” I was a little awed at the quick and “transparent” answer that he gave me, and I responded, “isn’t that stuff cancerous? He replied, “everything gives you cancer these days…”
6. Ammoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate (ACZA)2 –treated wood can pose health risks primarily due to the presence of arsenic, a known carcinogen. Exposure can occur through inhaling dust. Long-term exposure to arsenic can increase the risk of developing various cancers: skin cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer.9
Addressing environmental issues, such as, odors/ smells coming off of telephone poles may seem to be a feeble claim of air pollution. But addressing small issues in the environment helps to improve the overall condition of the entire environment. Yes, improvements and up keeping of the City of Houston’s infrastructure is vital and necessary, but we have to carry out these duties with the consideration for human health and the environment by always including safety practices and policies.
Some best practice policy precautions to be followed in reducing the risks associated with the effect of breathing in odors emitted from new telephone poles are:
a) If you smell fumes coming from stacked telephone poles in your neighborhood, leave the area. Go inside.
b) The City of Houston should tell the residents ahead of time what is about to take place. Give the residents time to prepare, such as making sure their windows are closed at night, and make arrangements to avoid as much contact with the telephone poles as possible.
c) Purchase an inexpensive home air filter to filter out the fumes that may enter the home. Wear masks to avoid over-exposure to inhaling fumes.
d) The City of Houston could drop the telephone poles off closer to the time when they are about to go up, this begins “fate and transport” of the VOCs being emitted. This mitigates the disseminating and evaporating of the vapors.
e) Don’t go near the telephone poles, and do not touch them.
Your city directors and managers should take precautions. Inform the communities of measures to take, and situations to be aware of. Whenever we see the telephone pole company dropping telephone poles to be set-up, be it known that those telephone poles pose a potential health risk. And some best practice measures are to be taken to reduce the risks associated with exposure to the stuff we smell coming from these telephone poles. “If you smell it, you inhaled it.” You are then exposed.
References:
1. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=volatile+organic+compounds
2. Pole Principles: Guidance for Specifying and Using Preservative-Treated Woodpoles. Woodpoles.org/up-content/uploads/PP_Preservatives.pdf
3. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+chromated+ copper+arsenate
4. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+
pentachlorophenol
5. Wikipedia: The free Encyclopedia. En.wikipedia.org/wiki/copper_naphthenate
6. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+copper+
naphthenate&rlz=
7. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+
DCOI-4,5-Dichloro-2-N-Octyl-4-Isothiazolin-3-One
8. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+creosote
9. Google AI Overview. Google.com/search?q=health+risks+associated+with+ACZA