Why Burning Trash Can Be Harmful

Burning household garbage, wood and leaves causes serious problems for the environment and poses health risks for people. Many items in household garbage were not designed to be burned and release dangerous toxic chemicals when burned. Municipal incineration, depending on the safely measures employed, is generally much safer than home burning, but even this is not without some risk.

Environment

• Trash burned at home is burned at relatively low temperatures. The typical home fire burns at 400 to 500 degrees F. At that temperature and under those conditions, toxins, dioxins, hydrocarbons, fine particulate matter and other pollutants are released. Unlike municipal incinerators, the smoke and toxins enter the air uncontrolled and unfiltered. This contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming, but it can also have a much more immediate effect by making the air dangerous to breathe.

Health Hazards

• According to the New York State Department of Health, smoke from any fire, including wood fires, can be hazardous to the health of individuals. Smoke from a trash fire is even more dangerous because it is released close to the ground. It is particularly dangerous for people with existing conditions such as asthma and other heart and lung conditions. The chemicals in the smoke can cause nausea, headaches, dizziness and other short-term effects, as well as increasing the risk of serious, long-term medical conditions. Because the smoke is low to the ground, it can also settle on fruits, vegetables and other vegetation that becomes dangerous to eat for humans and wildlife.

Asian Cloud

• When considering the impact of anything on the environment or public health it is important to look at the potential impact if everyone did it. In Asia, where poverty rates are high and people burn wood, dung and nearly anything else they can for heat and cooking, the result is a brown cloud so large and dense it can be seen from space. In addition to serious health consequences, the cloud has greatly increased the greenhouse effect and warming in the area, and jeopardizes the Tibetan Plateau's 46,000 glaciers.

Municipal Burning

• Municipal combustion still causes some level of pollution, however modern incineration plants offer several distinct advantages over home fires. Items that are very dangerous to burn can be removed before incineration occurs, and what is left burns at temperatures of up to 2000 degrees F, which means that incineration often occurs too quickly for dangerous compounds to form. Additionally, filters remove some of the dangerous chemicals from the smoke before it is released and the tall smokestacks prevent it from settling too close to the ground.