Indiscriminate and open burning of garbage is harming our health and our environment.

WHILE the indiscriminate and open burning of garbage is pervasive, anecdotal evidence shows that this practice is more commonplace in areas that have a suboptimal government-operated garbage collection system. Data gathered globally has shown that this health and life-threatening practice disproportionately impacts those who are impoverished and live in rural areas.

The open burning of garbage refers to burning garbage in barrels, open pits, etc. Such a practice has been carried out for years, e.g. by our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. Unfortunately, the items being burnt via such a method today are much more toxic than the items burnt by the same method a generation or two ago.

Items that release a cocktail of harmful toxins into the atmosphere when burnt:

• Clothing

• Plastic products

• Paper cups

• Rubber

• Painted and chemically treated wood

• Synthetic fabrics

• PVC

• Vinyl products

• Flooring • Cosmetic products

• Pharmaceuticals

• Children’s toys

• Meat trays

• Foam cups

• Fast food containers and cups

• Egg crates

• Bleached paper products

• Pizza boxes

• Cardboard

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Plastic bags

• Car tires

• Aluminium cans

• Construction waste

• Motor oil

• Yard trimmings

• Disposable diapers

• Plastic wraps/ film

• Shoes

• Batteries

• Inner lining of the barrel used for burning

• Other.

Chemicals and contaminants released by the burning of trash

The burning of trash releases a wide range of extremely toxic substances, which can result in serious acute and chronic health problems. These include:

• Nitrogen oxides

• Sulfur dioxide

• Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)

• Polycyclic organic matter (POMs)

• Dioxin

• Furans

• Ammonia

• Carbon Monoxide

• Particulate matter (soot)

• Arsenic

• Mercury

• Chromium

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Lead

• Other.

These harmful pollutants not only directly impact the health of those breathing them in but can have an indirect effect on human health by contaminating our soil, water sources, and livestock that we consume.

While all of us are vulnerable, those who are most vulnerable to this smoke are:

• Those with pre-existing medical issues, especially respiratory conditions.

• Babies, infants, and children.

• Elderly.

• Pregnant women.

The direct health impact include:

• Irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract.

• Skin rashes.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Headaches.

• Shortness of breath.

• Aggravation of pre-existing lung conditions – asthma, COPD, emphysema.

• Heart disease.

• Cancers.

• Subfertility.

• Miscarriages.

• Developmental abnormalities – pre and post birth.

• Increase dementia risk.

• Premature death.

• Other.

Ways of mitigating the open and indiscriminate burning of trash:

• The Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment must design an implementable plan.

• Cultivate a “brother’s keeper” mindset across the country.

• Raise public awareness of the consequences of such a practice, even for the person burning the trash.

• Systematically improve and expand the garbage collection system.

• Promote composting, natural decomposition, etc.

• Develop community outreach programmes to reduce waste production.

• Laws governing the open burning of trash must be updated (e.g. stiffer penalties) and they ultimately need to be enforced.

Those who burn their garbage in an open fire in their backyard, I’m directly appealing to you. Please stop! For you are exposing many to potentially dire health hazards over the short, medium, to long term inclusive of but not limited to:

• Yourself (the fire setter).

• The occupants of your home.

• Your neighbours within hundreds of meters of the fire.

• Domestic animals and livestock within hundreds of meters of the fire.

• The environment within hundreds of meters of the fire.

I feel compelled to share Mrs. X’s sad story and its tragic ending. Mrs. X, was a gentle and kind soul, she was one of my stalwart patients. She suffered from asthma, which was readily triggered by smoke. She always carried around her reliever and preventer inhalers, and had a nebulizer and nebulizer medicines at home.

Mrs. X had an inconsiderate neighbour who regularly burnt their trash openly. This often resulted in Mrs. X’s asthma “acting up”. One occasion, she ended up being hospitalised for a severe asthma attack.

Mrs. X reported the matter to the police, who instructed Mrs. X’s neighbour on a few occasions to cease openly burning their trash. They ignored the instruction and continued to periodically burn their trash.

One fateful day, as a result of the smoke from the burning trash, Mrs. X had a fatal asthmatic attack and died at her home. No one was charged for her death.

It has been over 17 years, however, Mrs. X’s case still very much saddens and infuriates me. Her death from a severe asthma attack secondary to trash generated smoke was absolutely preventable.

It is my hope that our new government addresses this dangerous practice of the open burning of garbage with urgency and a sense of steadfast resolve.

Every breath matters, and an essential step in achieving such an objective is making our environment as smoke free and pollution free as possible.