Scientific and medical research shows that people of Asian and African ethnicity are genetically more susceptible to naphthalene poisoning via inhalation.
@PHE_London representative Robie Kamanyire falsely claimed this is from ingestion only.
@PHE_London Roby Kamanyire has emailed the following response to my query.
@PHE_London It beggars belief, his response. Firstly, he admits that people of Asian and African origin (or 'people with a Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency' as he calls them) are at risk.
Then restates his false claim that it's all about children swallowing mothballs. Or is he now referring simply to long-term health impacts in general? I've asked him for his sources, but he's on holiday now until 7 August!
The source I found is a literature review from 2013, which quite clearly talks about inhalation as the main risk (and even the single research source linked to for the genetic factor describes inhalation as the main pathway, as well as ingestion).
Then to exclude the soil hospital (which is/was always claimed to be the main source of the odour), and by which measurement PHE themselves stated that levels of naphthalene were well above legal limits and need to be 'urgently reduced' to prevent long-term exposure. Astounding!
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Weasel words from Ealing Labour Council, who for six years have shown utter contempt for the health and wellbeing of Southall's schoolchildren forced to live in the toxic stink created by Berkeley Group's unsafe development of the old Gasworks site. 1/11
Take Blair Peach Primary School, adjacent to the highly contaminated old Gasworks site in Southall.
In 2016, Ealing Labour Council removed a functioning air quality monitor from the school grounds.
2/11
Shortly after, Berkeley Group began digging up the toxic land in the open air.
The head teacher of Blair Peach Primary School reported to the school governors very strong smells from the gasworks site caused headaches and asthma among staff and children.
Who wants to know more about how, twelve years ago, an exclusive group of rich, mostly white, middle aged men in suits planned to take advantage of the financial crash and austerity politics to sell Ealing's public land and buildings for profit like they were playing monopoly?
A few familiar and influential names including, of course, the late Tony Pidgley of Berkeley Group and Southall Gasworks infamy.
A five year plan to sell off our public assets for £20m profit.
Not a single one of these men was elected to do so.
Talking of Southall Gasworks.
Has Southall been successfully positioned to capitalise on opportunities arising from Asia?
My source has obviously said that it's ok to publish these.
I've edited the screenshots to remove some names. I don't want to embarrass people unnecessarily, or make them feel like they are being attacked.
Focus is on Labour leadership.
Also going to take it slow, so maybe more of a drip, drip drip than a full on Wikileaks style dump.
These are from unofficial Ealing Labour councilllor group chats from the time of current leader Mason's failed coup attempt in 2020, to his successful second attempt in 2021.
Questions for Cllrs @_petermason, @DrAyshaRaza, @jkblacker, @JasbirAnand2 and @kamnagpal on tackling inequalities, healthy lives, thriving communities, a fairer start, specifically in reference to the ongoing air pollution and odour nuisance from the old Southall Gasworks site.
1) Why was there no Equalities Impact Assessment, taking into account the local area's existing economic and health inequalities?
2) Why weren't local residents informed about the risks (including potentially fatal genetic vulnerability of some Asian and Black people to naphthalene poisoning) beforehand?