Title: Backyard Burning
Headings: Backyard Burning
Backyard Burning
Recycle Guide
Backyard Burning
The facts on backyard burning
Why is backyard garbage burning dangerous?
How does backyard burning affect the environment?
What does the law say about backyard burning?​
What should I do with my garbage?

Content: Why is backyard garbage burning dangerous? Most people who burn their garbage do not realize how harmful this practice is to their health and to the environment. Many dangerous health conditions can be caused by inhaling or ingesting even a small amount of pollutants released during a backyard burn. Small children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with preexisting respiratory conditions are especially vulnerable to these pollutants. When burned at low temperatures, certain plastics release a group of chemicals called dioxins. When inhaled, dioxins can wreak havoc on the body, leading to adverse reproductive development, suppression of the immune system, disruption of hormonal systems, and even cancer. Not only are dioxins highly toxic when inhaled, but they can also settle on plants and bioaccumulate as they move up the food chain, contributing to toxins in the food supply. Other dangerous pollutants released during backyard burning include particle pollution, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and ash, which all pose a number of different health risks. Some short-term problems include eye, nose, lung, and throat irritation, headaches, vomiting, nausea, skin irritation, fatigue, and loss of coordination. Other long-term and more serious problems range from liver, kidney and central nervous system damage to cancer.