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November 18th, 2004

"Dangerous levels of dioxins found in backyard burn barrels"

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the backyard burn barrel, a regular fixture in rural life, is now the largest quantifiable source of dioxin emissions in the country. The burning, according to Arkansas'' Western River Valley Solid Waste Management District director Ron Smith, presents several health and safety concerns. Even though state laws outlaw the practice of burning household trash in steel drum barrels on their property, violations of the law rarely result in prosecution.

One risk is the accidental fires that can spread from the barrels. Other problems are the serious health effects exposure to dioxin emissions can cause, including respiratory problems and the addition of an accumulation of chemicals in the body. The EPA has identified dioxins as a cancer hazard and it has been linked to skin disorders, birth defects and many other serious health problems.

Dioxins are often the combustion of plastics, and the EPA has taken steps in recent years to reduce industrial emission of dioxins. According to Smith, to help reduce the serious and deadly risks of dioxins, eliminating burn barrels will be necessary, stressing the necessity of providing suitable trash disposal alternatives in the process. By better educating people about the dangerous risks associated to backyard burning, the emissions of dioxins can help be reduced.