X-ray Fluorescence in Member States: Philippines. Establishing the Link between Health Effects and Tire Pyrolysis Emissions using XRF Spectrometry of PM2.5

In July 2009, a substandard tire pyrolysis facility for the production of fuel oil started operations in the rural municipality of Angat in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. Very soon afterwards, nearby residents noted adverse effects on the environment: oily effluents contaminating a nearby creek and adjacent rice fields; sacks of pyrolysis char dumped in empty lots, dark layers of soot on the ground, foliage and rooftops. Adverse health effects were also noted. Symptoms observed were respiratory problems, such as chest congestion, difficulty in breathing, excessive phlegm, coughs, and colds, to skin allergies and eye irritation, as well as dizziness and stomach pains. It was necessary to link the observed health effects with tire pyrolysis emissions. Being a rural area, there were no monitoring stations in the area. Assistance was sought from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) for the conduct of air particulate monitoring, in order to generate some information on the nature of emissions that were causing serious health conditions. PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 monitoring were undertaken with the Gent sampler and subsequent chemical speciation by XRF spectrometry was done, in an attempt to identify possible signature elements.