Street flushing and sweeping operations in Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are nuisances to some people. Mechanical sweepers take too much space on the streets and move slowly adding burden to the traffic. Street flushing and sweeping programs also demand too much from residents. For one, parked cars must be kept off residential streets on a scheduled flushing and sweeping operation.
Also, garbage containers and recycle boxes must be placed away from the street during collection days. In addition, motorists are handed parking tickets and fined because of parked cars on a street with pending flushing and sweeping operation. These people remain in the dark hence the misunderstanding and negative reactions. So, why are street flushing and sweeping done?
The air we breathe is not absolutely pure as we might perceive. Airborne particulate matter consists of suspended substances that are in the form of particles. These are fine particles that come from smoke emissions of vehicles and industrial facilities due to the combustion of fuels and other flammable materials. Particles can also come from road debris due to pavement erosion. These suspended particles have serious health impacts. Particularly, those with sizes measuring below ten micrometers can easily enter the respiratory tract and cause acute and chronic lung problems.
Aside from health repercussions, airborne particulate matter also contains toxic substances like metals, chromium, manganese and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Deposition of these particles on the streets can result to the transfer of pollutant load to storm water runoff. Pollutants can easily reach the natural waterways thus affecting the drinking water source and habitat of most fishes and other wildlife. Unmaintained streets therefore have a high pollutant load of road dusts which contribute to both air and water pollution.
Street flushing and sweeping are carried out to effectively decrease toxic particulate matter that accumulates on the pavements. Initially, flushing is done to loosen any build up of road dusts and debris. Mechanical sweepers are used which utilize automatic brooms and conveyor belts. The broom rotates to free the accumulated road debris after which collected waste fragments are carried via the conveyor belt onto a hopper. Vacuum assisted sweepers are also used.
This has the same workings of a mechanical sweeper; with the addition of a vacuum which sucks up the freed debris directly onto the hopper. New sweeper types are the regenerative air sweepers. They blow air onto the ground which aids in removing accumulated road dusts and vacuum the debris onto the hopper.
Various cities in GTA have adopted the application of street flushing and sweeping. Operations are scheduled once every three months, with the spring season being the busiest, depending on the needs and status of city streets Studies have shown its beneficial effects in decreasing pollutant load in the streets. This lessens the health risk for residents and environmental threat to both air and water.
Flushing and sweeping also prevent materials from clogging the storm water drains. They provide a safe and clean driving surface and maintain city streets in perfect condition. Street flushing and sweeping has their downside; however, the benefits far outweigh any shortcomings.
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