Letter about barning
on the use
use
of plastic bags.
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:Now that nearly all the leaves have dropped from the trees, it’s common to see people burning leaves in backyard burn barrels. However, some local residents are disposing of plastic waste and household trash via their burn piles. Burning plastic releases a variety of noxious chemicals into the atmosphere.
When burned, many plastics (particularly polyvinylchloride, or PVC) release carbon monoxide and the deadly poison named tetrachloro-dibenzo-dioxin, a toxic organic chemical that is a known carcinogen. There is ample evidence that this compound is very dangerous to humans, even at low levels of exposure. Cancer and respiratory illness are common effects of this chemical — and these illnesses are very common in our area.
Some communities prohibit the burning of materials containing rubber or plastic without a permit. Old barrels, burn pits or wood stoves do not reach high enough temperatures to destroy many of the dangerous chemicals created when plastic burns. Some municipal solid waste incinerators can reach extremely high temperatures in controlled conditions, which provides plenty of oxygen to complete the burning process. Barrels only tend to smolder and smoke, releasing plumes of toxic fallout into our backyards and the surrounding community. In addition, our lands are left with potentially hazardous ash, which is not a healthy soil component. Given the proximity of streams in our area, we should also be concerned with effects of toxic soils and waste products on our watersheds.
Plastics like PVC are common in such things as vinyl siding, bottles and jugs, etc. Plastic agricultural silage wrap, wire insulated with plastic, shopping bags and plastic containers often end up in trash, but none of these items should ever be burned. These items could be a major source of airborne pollutants; they could easily make their way into the food chain and our bodies. There are recycling options available for many of these products.
I have subsequently noticed that many burn barrels in our area contain plastic materials — everyone can smell the acrid odor of burning trash; it certainly differs from the woodsy smell of burning leaves.
Let’s protect one another’s health through community action — don’t burn plastic!
Elizabeth Capaldi Evans,
Lewisburg