1. Hazards and Effects on Respiratory Health of Backyard Burning
Theodore W. Marcy, MD MPH
Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine
University of Vermont College of Medicine
American Lung Association of Vermont

2. Outline of Discussion Lung function, anatomy and inhaled toxins
Characteristics of the emissions from backyard burning of trash
Contents
Quantity compared to other emissions
Health Hazards
In normals
In vulnerable populations

3. Function of the Respiratory System
Gas exchange
Eliminate CO2
Transfer Oxygen to blood
To accomplish this
Gas exchange organ (lung)
Respiratory pump to move air in and out

4. Anatomy of the Lung and Alveoli Location of Gas Exchange

5. Interaction of Lung with Environment
Volume of air we breath per day = 10,000 Liters
Surface area of lung = Squash court
Lung defense
Filtering by nose and upper airway
Impact of particles at branching airways
Particles removed by mucociliary escalator and swallowed or coughed out
Other foreign particles cleared by resident cells of the defense system (macrophages)

6. What Particles Get to the Alveoli?
Particles of most importance are less than 10 microns in diameter (RBC is 5 microns)
PM10

7. Air Pollution and Health
An increase in PM10 by 10 g/m3 associated with a 0.5% increase in death rate from all causes
An increase in PM10 by 10 g /m3 associated with an 8-18% increase in cardiovascular causes of death
Ban on coal sales in Dublin associated with a
Decrease in air pollution
6% decrease in non-trauma death rates
10% decrease in cardiovascular death rates
16% decrease in respiratory death rates

8. Wood Burning Campfires Woodstoves for home heating
Incineration of cleared brush and trees

9. Wood Burning Burning 20 lbs of wood puts 1 lb of pollution in the air
100 different chemicals
Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Large amount of PM10 particulates
Pollution from 1 home heated by wood for 1yr equals
400 homes heated by oil or natural gas
1 car driving 130,000 miles

10. Backyard Burning Used as low cost method of trash disposal
Trash is NOT just wood, paper and yard waste
Trash consists of plastics, synthetics, other chemicals
Low temperature burning (500) leads to incomplete combustion
Emissions highly concentrated and “in your face”

11. Emissions from Backyard Burning
Fine particulate matter
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Dioxins and Furans
PAHs and PCBs
Lead
Arsenic
Mercury
Barium
Chromium
Cadmium

12. Comments on Some Emissions
Carbon monoxide
Binds to hemoglobin, reducing oxygen delivery
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Contribute to ground level ozone pollution (smog)
Aggravate respiratory and heart conditions
Some (PAHs) are carcinogenic
Hexachlorobenzene
Birth defects
Kidney and liver damage
Benzopyrene
Suspected cause of lung cancer

13. Health Consequences Upper airway irritation
Neurologic symptoms (headache, fatigue)
Acute respiratory symptoms (shortness of breath
Asthma and chronic lung disease exacerbations
Acute cardiac events
Cancers (long term exposures)
Hospitalizations
Increased deaths

14. Emissions from burn barrels in the US (lbs./year)
benzene 4,500,000
styrene 3,400,000
formaldehyde 3,100,000
dioxins
furans
PCB ,962
hydrogen cyanide 1,700,000
arsenic ,186

15. Municipal Waste Combustor (MWC) vs Barrel Burning
2,200 F  F

16. EPA Evaluation of Emissions from Barrel Burning: Lemieux EPA 1998
Purpose: Risk assessment
Qualitative identification and quantitative measure of emissions from open burning of household refuse
Comparison to other point and area sources
Waste from non-recycling and avid recycling households
Burned in test facility
Extractive samples analyzed
Compared to emissions from MWC field test

17. Household Burning vs MWC
Household family of 4
Non-recycling
4.9 kg/day
62% paper products
8% plastic resin
Avid-recycling
1.5 kg/day
62% paperboard
16% plastic resin
MWC
182,000 kg/day
37,000 non-recycling households or
121,000 recycling households

18. Emissions per Mass of Refuse MWC vs Open Burning

19. How many barrel burning homes equals the pollution from a MWC?
Daily MWC estimated emission
Daily estimated emissions from households =
#households that
equal a MWC
Lemieux EPA March 1998

20. Vulnerable Populations
Asthma in Vermont
41,000 adults
13,000 children
Chronic lung disease
7,000 with emphysema
26,000 with chronic bronchitis
Children
Absorb more toxins per weight than adults
Second hand smoke increases respiratory tract infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome

21. Vermont State Regulations on Open Burning
Allowed (if not prohibited by local ordinances)
Campfires and outdoor barbecues
Burning of leaves, brush, deadwood, tree cuttings
Natural wood bonfires on festive occasions
Illegal to burn
Paper and cardboard
Tires and other rubber products
Treated, painted, or finished wood
Tarpaper or asphalt shingles
Plastics
Garbage

22. Backyard Burning in Vermont
18,000 households
28 million pounds of trash annually
The Herald of Randolph, VT 11/30/00

23. Opinions Regarding Burn Barrels
28% burn household garbage and other materials (in burn barrel or other device)
Of those that burn household garbage
45% burn garbage because it is convenient
32% believe they are reducing waste
35% said that nothing would cause them to stop this practice
34% (ironically) believe there is not enough concern about the environment
Survey in Minnesota and Wisconsin
From ALA of Wisconsin

24. Alternatives to Backyard Burning
Recycle
Newspaper
Used oil
Plastic bottles
Magazines
Cans
Glass
Cardboard
Office paper
Compost
Yard wastes
Vegetable Scraps
Reuse
Clothes
Donate to charity
Buy smart
Avoid unnecessary packing