Riaan 
Ikhemikhali ebanga umdlavuza esetshenziswa kakhulu ukucekela phansi izingxenye zezindiza nemishini esindayo nayo ingaxhunyaniswa nesifo sikaParkinson, ngokusho kwephepha elisha locwaningo elincoma ukuthi kubhekwe kabanzi izindawo ezingcoliswe isikhathi eside yinkomponi.
I-Trichlorethylene, noma i-TCE, iwuketshezi olungenambala oluye lwasetshenziselwa ukususa i-gunk ezinjinini zejethi, ukukhumula upende nokususa amabala emahembe alahliwe ezindaweni zokuhlanza ezomile. Amashumi eminyaka okusetshenziswa kabanzi e-US ashiye izinkulungwane zamasayithi angcoliswe yi-TCE.
Ephepheni elishicilelwe ngoLwesibili ku Ijenali yesifo sikaParkinson, ababhali bacabanga ukuthi lokhu kungcola kungase kube nomthelela ekusakazekeni komhlaba wonke kwe-Parkinson, isifo sezinzwa esibonakala ngokundindizela okungalawuleki nokunyakaza kancane. Nakuba ababhali behlulekile ukufakazela ukuxhumana okuqondile, bacaphuna ezinye izifundo eziningi eziphakamisa ukuthi i-TCE ingase ibambe iqhaza ekuphazamisekeni kobuchopho obuwohlokayo, futhi banxusa ucwaningo olwengeziwe ngale ndaba.
“Lapho uDkt. Parkinson echaza lesi simo ngo-1817 eLondon, wabika abantu abayisithupha abanalesi sifo,” kusho uDkt. Ray Dorsey, uprofesa wezinzwa eNyuvesi yaseRochester nombhali oholayo. “Eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili kamuva, inani lezifo emhlabeni wonke lilinganiselwa ukuthi bangaphezu kwezigidi eziyisithupha abantu abanalesi sifo emhlabeni wonke. Pho usuka kanjani ezigidini eziyisithupha uye kweziyisi-6? Amanani akhula ngokushesha kakhulu kunalokho ukuguga okungakuchaza kukodwa. Kufanele kube yizici zemvelo. Ngicabanga ukuthi i-TCE nokungcoliswa komoya kuneqhaza elibalulekile.”
Nakuba ukuchayeka isikhathi eside noma okuphindaphindiwe ku-TCE kwaziwa ukuthi kubangela umdlavuza wezinso, ngokusho kweNational Cancer Instituteababhali baleli phepha baphikisa ngokuthi ukuxhumana nesifo sika-Parkinson kuzokwandisa kakhulu ubungozi baso, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezingcolile eziguqulelwe zaba ukuthuthukiswa kwezindlu.
“Lapho isiguli singitshela mayelana nokuchayeka okungenzeka, ngi-Google indawo yaso futhi cishe njalo ngithola isayithi elingcolile,” kusho u-Dorsey.
Leli phepha lithatha emaphepheni ocwaningo angaphezu kweshumi nambili abhala imiphumela esobala yemizwa ehlobene nokuchayeka kwe-TCE futhi ligqamisa inani lezimo zika-Parkinson. Lapho licaphuna isimo samakhemikhali esitholakala yonke indawo, leli phepha libhekisela ekungcoleni okungaphansi kwengxenye yeNewport Beach, ethathwa njengomunye wemiphakathi emikhulu yaseCalifornia ehlaselwe umusi wamakhemikhali osuka ekungcoleni kwefa.
I-TCE yaqala ukuxhunyaniswa nezimpawu zesifo sikaParkinson ngo-1969 endodeni eneminyaka engu-59 ubudala esebenze naleli khemikhali iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30, ngokusho kwephepha. Ikakhulu ixhumene nokuchayeka emsebenzini, okuhlanganisa nowesifazane owayesebenza ngamakhemikhali ngenkathi ehlanza izindlu nezisebenzi zasefekthri ezazigcoba futhi zihlanza izinsimbi. Ucwaningo lwango-2012 lwamawele lwathola ukuthi ukuchayeka emsebenzini noma wokuzilibazisa kwakuhlotshaniswa cishe namathuba angama-500% anda okuba nesifo sika-Parkinson.
Ukukhiqizwa kwe-TCE e-US kwanda kakhulu ngeminyaka yawo-1970, kwadlula amaphawundi ayizigidi ezingu-600 ngonyaka. Yayivame ukusetshenziswa ezisekelweni zamasosha nasezindaweni zezimboni, futhi ilahlwe ezindaweni eziyingozi zemfucuza.
Namuhla, ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yamanzi okuphuza e-US ingase ibe ne-TCE, ngokusho kwe-Environmental Protection Agency. Kodwa leli khemikhali liphinde lisongela izinga lomoya wasendlini, njengoba likwazi ukugeleza lisuka enhlabathini liye ezindlini ngokusebenzisa izikhala ezisekelweni, lapho liphefumulelwa khona njengomhwamuko.
ENingizimu ye-California, isifunda esibhekene nokushoda kwezindlu, ukuthuthukiswa kwezindawo ezingcoliswe yi-TCE kanye nenqwaba yamanye amakhemikhali kuphakamise izinhlabamkhosi phakathi kwamaqembu omphakathi.
I-Santa Susana Field Lab, indawo lapho izinjini zamarokhethi zahlolwa khona eSimi Hills yaseVentura County, yake yaba kude. Namuhla, abantu abangu-700,000 bahlala endaweni engamakhilomitha angu-10 ukusuka endaweni ethule, lapho inhlabathi namanzi angaphansi komhlaba kungcoliswe izinto ezingcolisayo ezingaphezu kuka-300, kuhlanganise ne-TCE.
Ngokufanayo, e-Riverside County’s Jurupa Valley, intuthuko phakathi neminyaka iye yasondela eduze ne-Stringfellow Acid Pits, indawo evaliwe yemfucuza eyingozi eyayiphatha i-TCE.
“Izifundo bezilokhu zigxile emdlavuzeni. Kanti njalo sike satsho ukuthi zikhona ezinye izifo ezincedisayo kanye lemikhuhlane ebonakala lalokhu abangayitholi,” kutsho uPenny Newman, isakhamuzi seJurupa Valley njalo ongumsunguli weCenter for Community Action and Environmental Justice.
“Isiza ngokwaso besibekwe sodwa emgodini ongaphezu komphakathi, futhi bekungakabi bikho intuthuko enkulu lapho,” kusho uNewman. “Kodwa njengoba idolobha likhula nemigwaqo enguthelawayeka, base beqala ukufuna noma iyiphi impahla etholakalayo. Futhi kule minyaka embalwa edlule, abantu sebeqalile ukubheka ukuthi bangathuthuka kanjani eduze” kwesiza.
E-Orange County’s Newport Beach, amakhemikhali emanzini angashoni ashiywe yindawo yokuhlola yangaphambili yezinhlelo zemicibisholo.
Kusukela ngo-1957 kuya ku-1993, I-Ford Motor Co yasebenzisa ikhempasi ye-aeronautics yamahektha angu-98 lapho yakha khona izinhlelo zemicibisholo yamaqhinga.. Ngemuva kokudilizwa kwesakhiwo, indawo yalungiswa ngemvelo futhi yabuye yathuthukiswa yaba izindawo zokuhlala. Ezinye zazo zazihlanganisa nemizi ebiza izigidi zamarandi. Kodwa-ke, okunye ukungcola kwamakhemikhali kwasala futhi kwathuthela namanzi angaphansi komhlaba ezindaweni ezizungezile.
Amanzi angaphansi komhlaba aseNewport Beach awasetshenziselwa ukuphuza, futhi amazinga womhwamuko we-TCE ayengabhekwa njengosongo engcupheni yezempilo yomphakathi ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa-ke, ngo-2014, i-US Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 yakhipha imemo mayelana nezingozi zokuphefumula ama-TCE. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, i-California yabuyekeza imikhawulo yayo yezempilo yokuchayeka kwe-TCE.
Kusukela ngo-2018, ochwepheshe abaqashwe ngabakwaFord, ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwe-Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, baqhube. ukuqapha umhwamuko womhlabathi endaweni ezungeze indawo yangaphambili.
“I-Ford ikholelwa ukuthi ukufinyelela endaweni enempilo nehlanzekile kuyilungelo lomuntu eliyisisekelo, kuhlanganise nezakhamuzi zaseNewport Beach,” kusho inkampani esitatimendeni esilungisiwe. “Kusukela ngo-1996, abakwaFord bebesebenza ngokuzimisela neBhodi Yokulawula Ikhwalithi Yamanzi Yesifunda sase-Santa Ana ukuze kubhekwane nezimo eziguquguqukayo zemvelo ezisenhlabathini nasemanzini angaphansi komhlaba. Sihlale sihlinzeka ngezibuyekezo emphakathini futhi sizoqhubeka nokwenza lokho.”
Kuze kube manje, izindawo zokuhlala ezingaphezu kuka-350 kanye nezindawo ezintathu zezentengiselwano zinesampula yazo yangaphakathi. Umhwamuko ovela ku-TCE kanye ne-solvent ehlobene – i-tetrachlorethylene, noma i-PCE – kutholwe ngaphezu kwamazinga okuhlola ezindlini eziyi-129. Izihlanzi zomoya zinikezwe cishe imindeni engama-30 lapho idatha ephakanyiswe ukuthi kungene umhwamuko.
Ngaphandle kwezindlu, inethiwekhi yama-monitor angaphansi komhlaba angama-424 iqoqa izilinganiso zomhwamuko ekujuleni. Kwezinye izimo, lawa ma-probe akale ukugxila kwe-TCE izikhathi ezingaphezu kwe-100 kunomkhawulo wokuhlala wase-California.
Kwe I-Bayridge Park kanye neBelcourt Terrace ziyahlanganaimiphakathi emibili egxile kakhulu, abakwaFord basebenzela ukufaka amasistimu amapayipi angaphansi komhlaba aklanyelwe ukwelapha umhwamuko ongaphansi komhlaba isikhathi esingangonyaka, okulindeleke ukuthi ehlise amazinga e-TCE angaphakathi endlini ukuze afinyelele ezindinganisweni zezwe, ngokusho kukaJessica Law, isazi sokuma komhlaba kwezobunjiniyela. ibhodi lamanzi.
“Lena ngenye yezindawo ezicebe kakhulu kulo lonke elase-United States,” kusho uDorsey, owakhulela eNewport Beach. “Uma lokhu kwenzeka endaweni enothile ngezinsiza, cabanga ngalokho okwenzeka endaweni entula izinsiza.”
Abameli bezemvelo bathi ukuchayeka ku-TCE kuyagwemeka. I-New York ne-Minnesota ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwayo, futhi ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, i-US EPA yanquma ukuthi i-TCE iveza “ingozi engenangqondo yokulimala empilweni yomuntu,” okuyigama elivula indlela yokulawula okungaba khona.
E-Jurupa Valley, uMnyango Wokulawulwa Kwezinto Ezinobuthi wase-California uyaqhubeka nokubhekana nokungcoliswa kwe-TCE okuchitheke kusizinda semfucumfucu eyingozi ebivalwe isikhathi eside. Kusukela ngo-1956 kuya ku-1972, cishe amalitha ayizigidi ezingu-34 emfucumfucu yemboni ewuketshezi alahlwa emachibini ahwamulisayo e-Stringfellow Acid Pits emhosheni ezintabeni zaseJurupa. Ukungcola kuphunyukile lapho amanzi ezikhukhula ethwala izinto ezingcolile azisusa endaweni aziyise emphakathini ongezansi.
Umbuso uchithe izigidi zamarandi ufaka inethiwekhi yemithombo ukukhipha nokwelapha ipayipi lamanzi angcoliler. Naphezu kwenqubekelaphambili enkulu, ukuqapha ngo-2018 kwembula ukuthi amafu e-TCE aqhubekile nokudlula amazinga ezempilo kahulumeni.
Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka yesomiso, esavumela amanzi amaningi angcolile ukuba alashwe futhi asuswe, abantu bendawo manje bakhathazeka ngokuthi ukungcoliswa kungase kusabalale nemvula nokuncibilika kweqhwa.
“Konke kulowo mhlaba,” kusho uNewman waseJurupa Valley. “Ngakho-ke uma uphinde uyisebenzise futhi bese inyakaza emanzini angaphansi komhlaba, uzokwenza ukuthi iqale ukwehla. [into the community] futhi.”
