ECOFRIENDLY FESTIVALS

C.ANANTHADept of Chemistry

M E S degree collegeBANGALORE

MAJOR FESTIVALS CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENVIRONMENT

• HOLI

• GANESHA FESTIVAL

• DEEPAVALI

HOLI

• Festival of colours

• Dry and Wet colours used to sprinkle and smear

Dry Danger

• The dry colours, commonly known as gulals, have two components – a colourant that is toxic and a base which could be either asbestos or silica, both of which cause health problems. Heavy metals contained in the colourants can cause asthma, skin diseases and adversely affect the eyes.

DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC COLOURS

• These are toxic,irritate the eyes,cause respiratory damage and skin irritation

• THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE

Black Lead oxide Renal Failure

Green Copper Sulphate Eye Allergy, Puffiness and temporary blindness

Silver Aluminium bromide

Carcinogenic

Blue Prussian Blue

Contract Dermatitis

Red Mercury Sulphite

Highly toxic can cause skin cancer

What to do!

•You can prepare natural colours

Yellow 1) Mix turmeric (haldi) powder with chick pea flour (besan) 2) Boil Marigold flowers in water

Yellow liquid color Soak peels of pomegranate (Anar) overnight.

Deep Pink Slice a beetroot and soak in water

Orange - red paste Henna leaves (mehndi) can be dried, powdered and mixed with water.

Ganesha-principle

• Ganesha is a symbol of biodiversity

• His worship requires flowers,leaves,grass and other materials from environment.

• Ganesha idols making from lake bed clay desilts lakes.

Pollution by painted Ganesha idols

Immersion of painted

idols releases toxic

materials into water

bodies and solid

wastes like the slow

dissolving

Plaster of paris

A SOURCE OF LEAD POLLUTION IN INDIA…

In India, on every Ganesha Chaturthi In India, on every Ganesha Chaturthi and Durga Pooja, crores of idols are and Durga Pooja, crores of idols are immersed in lakes, rivers and other immersed in lakes, rivers and other water bodies. water bodies. These idols are painted with These idols are painted with lead-based paintslead-based paints

EVERY YEAR , LEAD RELEASED INTO THE WATER BODIES,DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY REACHES US.

LEAD COMPOUNDS ENTER WATER

• Paints used in Ganesh idols release

Lead into the water used for immersion.

• This water is consumed by us for daily.

• Lead is concentrated in vegetables grown using these waters. Cattle which drink this water give milk with unacceptable levels of Lead. We consume these foods and Lead

enters our system.

Using painted Ganesha

• Using of painted Ganesha makes the environment more polluted. The Ganesha that is immersed in water affects the ecosystem.

METHODOLOGY

• Aquarium A was filled with 14 liters of normal tap water.

• 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

• Aquarium B was filled with 14 liters of water containing lead nitrate.

• 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

• Aquarium C was filled with 14 liters of water containing yellow paint pigment.

• 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

• Aquarium D was filled with 14 liters of eco-ganesha immersed water.

• 20 fishes were let into this aquarium for observation.

None of the fishes died in the normal water

Fishes in lead nitrate water were unable to feed

Fishes in the water containing yellow pigment died.

None of the fishes in the eco-ganesha immersed water died

Lead levels in sankey tank water

not detectable

before Ganesha

festival

0.03ppm after the

festival

(acc. level 0.015 ppm)

Lead in our system is bad for health

What is the acceptable amount of Lead in our body? Ans. ZERO

Yes that is right! 0000000000

Every indian has a blood Lead level of about 2µg/dl.

There is lack of awareness about the extent of Lead poisoning in the environment in our country

• Lead becomes poison if it crosses the limit.

• Lead affects all the organs of the human body. It mimics the role of calcium in bones and teeth.

• Lead poisoning in children cannot be cured,if it crosses 40 µg/dl.

• Lead poisoning in children affects their nervous system and lowers their IQ.

ECO-GANESHA

• Ecofriendly idols are

made out of clay.• These are unburnt &

unpainted.• Vegetable colours

can also be used.

Ecoganesha=No Pollution

• Immersion of clay idols results in easy disintegration of clay and its settling down quickly.

• Water quality is not affected.

• The clay can be easily recycled.

Painted ganesha idols

• P.O.P. statues immersed in water makes the water acidic.

• Heavy metals like pb,Hg,leach into acidic water.

• Undissolved paints disperses in water.

TOI NEWS STORY• Sankey tank reels under idol remains

• TIMES NEWS NETWORK 21-9-11•

Bangalore: Weeks after Ganesha Chaturthi, at least 10 more truckloads of waste need to be removed from the immersion pond constructed at Sankey Tank.     N S Ramakanth, member of the solid waste management round table,said during inspection of the pond, they noticed that the water had turned jet black and a stink was emanating from all around the water body.     “Two to three truckloads of flowers and leaves are transported to the Mavallipura landills every day, instead of sending them to the organic waste converter at Malleswaram market which has a capacity of 60 to 70%. The tank continues to stink. Even 16 days after Ganesha festival, all the plaster of paris (PoP)idols are lying as it is. Already three truckloads of PoP Ganesha idols have been transported,” he said.     Ramakanth added that on September 17, tipper lorries of waste were transported to a quarry 20 to 25 km from Bangalore.

What happens

• Water quality is affected. pH decreases,hardness increases,total dissolved solids increase,chloride and nitrate concentrations increase.

• Water becomes turbid,coloured and unusable.

• Treatment to clarify it and remove the dissolved impurities is costly.

Our study

• pH changed from 7.81to 6.94

• Chloride - 53.2 to 75.6 ppm

• Nitrate - 2.06 to 3.28 ppm

• T.D.S. - 230 to 1270 ppm

• T.H. - 120 to 952 ppm

ECO-GANESHA MARCH (JATHA) IN MALLESHWARAM – 24th AUG 08….

BANNER FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY

• By conducting experiments and doing a project like this we came to know that lead affects the biosphere to a large extent.

• Usage of eco-ganesha idols can prevent additional lead entering the water sources in India.

AWARENESS PROGRAMME

• Eco-ganesha Jatha – 24th Aug 08

• Workshops on Eco-ganesha – 24th July & 23rd Aug 08

• Green norms for Ganesha festival – 29th Aug 08

• Eco-ganesha sales outlet – 1st to 3rd Sept 08

ECOGANESHA MARCH

• M.E.S. COLLEGE invites you to join the ECOGANESHA JATHA this year on Sunday 28th Aug at 10 am.

• The walk goes through Malleshwaram and ends at 11-15 am.

• COME. LETS WALK TOGETHER FOR CLEAN AND GREEN BANGALORE.

What you can do

• Create awareness-sing,dance,enact a play,write in wall magazines,make posters

• Start a campaign and get media attention

• USE ECOGANESHA IDOLS AT YOUR HOME FOR THIS YEAR’S POOJA

Green festival

• Do not use plastic or thermocol for decoration.

• Use a small ecoganesha idol.

• Immerse in water in a bucket or drum.

CRACKRES ARE NOT SAFE

• Harmful effects of chemicals used in crackers• Copper: Irritation of respiratory tract• Cadmium: Anaemia and damage to kidney• Lead: Affects the nervous system• Magnesium: Dust and fumes cause metal fume fever• Manganese: Emotional disturbances, spastic gait and

paralysis• Sodium: React violently with moisture and can attack the

skin• Zinc: Leads to vomiting• Nitrate: Could lead to mental impairment• Nitrite: Could lead to coma

Air is polluted

• Levels of Sulphur dioxide,Nitrogen oxides increase by 10% or more.

• The levels of suspended particulate matter increases .

Safety first!

• Let us celeberate all our festivals happily in an ecofriendly manner.