KOCHI: The black soot that billowed into the air raised the levels of carbon monoxide in the area to 10 ppm (parts per million) as against the permissible levels of 3ppm. This was recorded by the air monitoring station of the Kerala state pollution control board (PSPCB) on M G Road.The PCB officials recorded high levels of hydrocarbons and expressed apprehension that the suspended particulate matter would be high when the night sets in. “There was a lot of wind during the day and this drove away the smoke into one direction; due to this skies cleared out fast,” M A Baiju, chief environmental engineer - central region, KSPCB.The soot was black because of the partially burnt material, he said. “The carbon monoxide levels were high because the rooms were closed without any ventilation and there was not much oxygen in the air. The pollution board will issue notice to the company once we take down the readings and prepare a report,” Baiju said.Experts said the black soot billowed out from the building will cause long-term damage to the environment. “The shoes in the godown not only contain plastic, rubber and leather but also paints that release volatile organic compounds (this can affect health). The soot is highly carbon-based,” said Sivanand Achari, professor, department of environmental sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).He said soot indicates huge dust pollution. “Because of the railway track, there was so much open space and no obstruction for wind flow with the coast on one side. Thus it helped in clearing the air. We should not be having any such storage facility in the city and authorities should take steps to move them out of the city.”Footwear components are made from leather, textile, plastics, metal, rubber or other synthetic compounds. Across the world, concerns have been raised with the recall of several products as there are toxic substances such as chromium (Cr) VI and dyes containing carcinogenic aromatic amines. There have been several protests in India too as several chemicals used in the manufacturing process also contribute to the negative impact that shoes have on the environment. Many chemical adhesives and tanning chemicals are used to process different parts of the shoe. Some of these chemicals are chlorinated phenols, tribromphenol, chlorinated paraffins and dimethyl fumarate, which are used as a preservative for leather in shoes.While the burning would have caused primary pollution, one does not have any clue of the secondary pollution caused by this burning, said PCB’s former member secretary M S Mythili. “The release of hydrocarbons would lead to secondary-level chemical combination between nitrogen oxides and hydrogen ,” she said. The primary pollutants combine with other reactants and form “secondary” pollutant like ozone. :We don’t have equipment to measure these secondary compounds.Pulmonologists said the dust will contain particles less than 2.5 microns which will go and settle in the lungs causing infection. “People who stood and inhaled that smoke would have headache, cough and discomfort in chest. We can expect more numbers in the pulmonology OP wings in hospitals in the next few days,” said Dr George Mothi, senior pulmonologist, Medical Trust Hospital.

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