Garbage burning at Futema during summer 2007.
Ikaria’s garbage volcano as seen from Frantato.
The smoke of burning plastic, rubber, trash and other waste
could be smelled from miles away.
This garbage fire continued burning for over a week.
Dioxin emissions from plastic burning
The most dangerous emissions can be caused by burning plastics containing organochlor-
based substances like PVC. When such plastics are burned, harmful quantities of
dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemicals are emitted. Dioxins are the most toxic to the
human organisms. They are carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor and persistent,
and they accumulate in our body-fat and thus mothers give it directly to their babies
via the placenta. Dioxins also settle on crops and in our waterways where they eventually
wind up in our food, accumulate in our bodies and are passed on to our children.
How burning of plastics and other waste harms the environment
Pollutants released from burning plastic waste in a burn barrel are transported through the air either short or long distances, and are then deposited onto land or into bodies of water. A few of these pollutants such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans persist for long periods of time in the environment and have a tendency to bio-accumulate which means they build up in predators at the top of the food web. Bioaccumulation of pollutants usually occurs indirectly through contaminated water and food rather than breathing the contaminated air directly. In wildlife, the range of effects associated with these pollutants includes cancer, deformed offspring, reproductive failure, immune diseases and subtle neurobehavioral effects. Humans can be exposed indirectly just like wildlife, especially through consumption of contaminated fish, meat and diary products.
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