Did you know that when you burn garbage in a stove, barrel or open camp fire, you are creating poisons in the form of a large variety of toxic chemicals that are released into the air. These fall back to the earth as particles or in rain drops and contaminate the water, plants and the soil and accumulate in the fat of animals and fish.

These toxins effectively find their way up the food chain into the food we eat and poison our bodies causing serious health concerns for our children and ourselves.

Because personal garbage fires burn at lower temperatures, they release up to 80 times more toxic pollutants into the air than a full-scale municipal incinerator. (U.S. EPA) Municipal incinerators (where they still exist) usually come equipped with pollution emission control systems and personal fires do not.

 

 

Believe It or Not

Fact: More than 13 million pounds of toxic pollutants are emitted each year from 20 million burn barrels. (1998 EPA Estimates)

Fact: One of those toxins is the “dioxin TCDD”, the most lethal human-made poison. Only radioactive waste is more toxic.

Although burning household garbage is only one of a number of ways that we pollute our environment, it is the one issue over which we have direct control and can personally do something about. Every little bit helps keep our outdoors clean.

 

 

You have a good day out there !