At any time of the day, in any province or barangay, whether faint or unbearable, the smell of smoke is almost always present.
There has been a traditional belief that burning trash and building smoky fires help ward off mosquitoes. But inhaling the smoke from these fires is very hazardous to our health.
There have been national laws and provincial/city ordinances passed regarding the control of burning as the means of reducing environmental pollutants.
But the full implementation of these laws, especially in the local level, has yet to be seen as evidenced by the dozens of smoky fires we see daily.
So what is the big deal? Why is burning trash, and even just dry leaves, hazardous?
When we burn, whether its just organic matter like leaves or a mixture of synthetics like plastics, rubber, paper, treated wood, tin cans, and other items, there are hazardous chemicals released. One of the most toxic and dangerous are called dioxins.
Dioxins are environmental toxins belonging to a group of very dangerous chemicals that are labeled persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Persistent because they are now found everywhere, in the air, in the water, in the soil, in the food we eat.
Dioxins are very stable chemically. That means they do not break down easily, and have been found to stay in the human body for over a decade.
When we burn trash, dioxins are released in the air and we breathe them in. Because they do not break down easily, they also settle on the soil, and in the water, and on plant surfaces.
Animals then ingest them through feed and fish through contaminated water. When we eat these animals, we are adding more dioxins to our bodies.
It is not so much the one time exposure to these toxins that is the danger. But as we get repeatedly exposed to dioxins, they accumulate in the fat stores of our bodies and stay.
Dioxins are considered carcinogens, cancer-causing chemicals, by the World Health Organization. There has been an increased rate of all types of cancer found in people directly exposed to these chemicals.
Dioxins can have adverse effects on multiple organ systems. In the reproductive system, this could mean lower testosterone levels and sperm counts, decreased fertility, more miscarriages, and other female hormonal problems.
In children, dioxins are associated with increased birth defects, lower developmental growth, lower intelligence, and behavioral issues. It alters normal hormone regulation affecting the thyroid and has been linked to diabetes.
Dioxins also depress the immune system, increasing susceptibility of infection and other diseases.
Dioxins affect the respiratory system causing chronic cough and sinus infections, leading to chronic diseases such as emphysema, while exacerbating asthma attacks. It causes skin lesions, affects liver and kidney functions, neurological and cardiac problems.
Unfortunately, when it comes to smoky fires, it is not just an individual problem. We cannot say, “It’s my health, and no one else’s business” when we let billows of smoke blow to our neighbors’ homes. We all breathe it.
It takes each one of us to teach each other, learn new ways to reduce environmental pollutants, and stop poisoning ourselves. We must do this now, today. We cannot wait for other people to rescue us. This is our home, our community, our beautiful paradise.
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Author’s email: floridamsn@safe-mail.net
