Objectives:
 

1. To assess the actual and potential health risk to the workers associated with electroplating, lead-acid battery and welding units with a view to obtain base line data.
2. To develop cost-effective and eco-friendly technology based on Indian herbs & plant extracts and other suitable alternatives to be used as remedial measures in warding off the health hazards.
3. To undertake pilot scale trial of the remedial technology on the workers of these units and demonstrate the efficiency of the system for appropriate technology absorption.

A  large number of workers to the tune of several millions  predominantly belonging to the weaker section of the society have been engaged in Electroplating, Lead-acid battery & Welding units, horizontally distributed throughout the country. The workers are directly exposed to the toxic fumes generated in these units and have virtually no protection to escape from the known and unknown hazards, rendering them highly vulnerable and susceptible to serious chronic health hazards, leading to shortening of their lives and causing miseries to their families. Ecofriendly approaches based on traditional herbs and plant extracts with underlying effects to neutralize/reduce the dermal and inhalation exposures to toxic/hazardous substances, may offer a tangible solution to the ailing problem of the workers in warding off their vulnerability to the health hazards associated with such hazardous industries. The problem manifestation with the actual and potential assessment of the work hazards vis-a-vis development of cost effective remedial measures in an ecofriendly manner on a pilot scale has been envisaged in this project proposal.

Review of the Status (National):

The vast human resource engaged in the hazardous units in India exceeds the highest number in the world. As per statistics available from various published or unpublished documents, an estimated 40% of the total workforce constituting more than four million have been engaged in various hazardous units distributed throughout the country. Poor economy, educational backwardness, lack of alternate jobs and social pressures are some of the known accountable factors for their sustained engagements in such hazardous units. Since majority of these units are covered under the unorganized sector, therefore, the workers are normally not entitled to the proper safety evaluations, abatement, and risk assessment benefits outlined for such units under the various laws and are thus, exposed to a variety of human risk problems, rarely manifested in our country. However, a few selected prominent health risk assessments carried out on workers from such units may reflect the dangers posed to the health of Indian workers engaged in these hazardous industries, as the brief report follows :

Case control studies conducted on death of workers in an electroplating and die casting plant revealed 238 deaths of workers who were in employment for at least 10 years of employment with proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) as 38 deaths, PMR=209 with significantly increased lung cancer (Silverstein et. al. 1981). In another study it was concluded that the excess risk of lung cancer in welders is approximately 30% greater than that in the non-welding population (Langard & Stern 1984) due to  the release of high concentration of nickel and hexavalent chromium in stainless welding fumes. Some genetic effects have also been encountered in some studies involving workers engaged in electroplating units such as chromosome aberrations (gaps, breaks, fragments) and elevated levels of SCE (Deng et. al. 1988). The formation of toxic aerosols like nickel sulphate and their subsequent inhalation by the workers during their occupational exposure results in various respiratory problems beginning with asthma and subsequently, leading to lung cancer and RD. (Circa, 1985; Dolovich et. al. 1984). Similarly, the occupational exposure of lead aerosols in combination with acid fumes causes an irreparable damage to the health of the workers, especially to those under 15 years of age. As such, a variety of serious health risks remain associated with the workers engaged in these hazardous units and virtually non-existent data are currently available as to the nature of specific ailments and the numbers in which the problem persists.

Importance of the Project:

Millions of the workers, mostly belonging to the weaker section of the society, engaged in the hazardous electroplating, lead-acid battery, and welding units distributed through out the country have been inadvertently exposed to the numerous health hazards caused due to toxic emission of the lethal compounds. These units are largely covered under the unorganized sector and therefore, escape from the stringent safety regulations being enforced for such units and thus, pose a serious threat to the health and life of these poor workers as limelighted by the numerous media reports pressing problems. The proposed project is a sincere endeavor to attempt for developing remedial cost-effective technology to ward off their vulnerability to the hazards posed by these hazardous industries.

STATUS: 
The project has completed and the crucial phase of development of remedial measures for the prevention and abatement of occupational hazards to the workers from electroplating, lead-acid battery and welding units utilising herbal and natural products is successfully over .