About Solid Waste
Wastes can be buried or burned. Burning may be used when the soil is hard, rocky, or frozen, making it difficult to dig a deep pit. It is also particularly suitable in areas with high water tables because digging a deep pit is impossible. Burial of garbage and rubbish is almost always the best method of disposal. It is the preferred, and most frequently the selected method. When burial is not possible, the combustible solid waste can be burned. Burning trash in a 55 gallon drum or in just a pile, often in the backyard, is a common method of solid waste disposal in some Tribal communities of Alaska. Surveys have revealed between 25 and 50 percent of rural households and farms may do backyard burning. Materials "burned" range from all household trash including plastics, glass and metal, paper items and even human feces. However, with today's wastes, it is very difficult to keep plastics out of even carefully sorted paper-only waste. Envelope windows are usually plastic, as are some inserts in junk mail. Paper packaging often has plastic coatings. Backyard burning is by definition "uncontrolled" burning and results in very high levels of toxic chemicals emitted in the smoke. Compared to municipal incinerators it takes place at much lower temperatures, with virtually no combustion air control, and with none of the very expensive high-tech pollution filtering apparatus required before the incinerator stack.
Human Waste
Human waste is a waste type usually used to refer to byproducts of digestion, such as feces and urine. Human waste is most often transported as sewage in waste water through sewerage systems. Alternatively it is disposed of in diapers in municipal solid waste. Human waste can be a serious health hazard, as it is a good vector for both viral and bacterial diseases. There are several methods that can be used to dispose of human and solid wastes. Chemical latrines are the preferred human waste disposal devices for use. When chemical latrines are not available, individuals must use other methods. A major accomplishment of human civilization has been the reduction of disease transmission via human waste through the practice of hygiene and sanitation, including the development of sewage systems and plumbing. Human waste can be reduced or reused through use of waterless urinals and composting toilets and greywater. The most common method of waste treatment in rural areas where municipal sewage systems are unavailable is the use of the septic tank systems. In remote rural places without sewage or septic systems, small populations allow for the continued use of honey buckets and sewage lagoons without the threat of disease presented by places with denser populations. Honey buckets are used by rural villages in Alaska where, due to permafrost, conventional waste treatment systems cannot be utilised. The bucket is emptied, usually about once a week, by carrying it by way of boardwalk or road to a nearby honey bucket well or hopper. A honey bucket well is a hole in the ground capped with a raised wooden enclosure. A hopper is a metal container, which is then removed by the city/tribal community authority to a larger dumping area. Tribal Communities in Alaska without proper waste disposal methods can soon become an ideal breeding area for flies and vermin. These conditions may result in the development and spread of disease among humans.
How Can Solid Waste Effect My Family and Community?
Very high levels of toxic chemicals and particulates are present in the smoke from open burning of waste. These may cause acute respiratory and other health problems in those breathing the smoke. Burning plastics can be especially problematic, with PVC plastic in particular contributing to high emissions of dioxin. Dioxin is a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin which means it isn't broken down into safer chemicals and it is concentrated in the food chain. As dioxin in burn barrel smoke drifts away to eventually settle on nearby fields, it can be eaten by wildlife where it is concentrated in their fat. Some is then excreted with the milk while the rest remains in the animal's fat. When humans consume the meat, they end up with the long-lived dioxin in their own bodies. The US EPA now considers burn barrels a major source of dioxin. They also consider that current dioxin levels in Americans, due to consumption of dairy and meat, are high enough to add a significant cancer risk, as well as other serious health risks. Open burning can also be a significant fire risk, with frequent brush, forest and structure fires attributed to burning which got out of control. Deaths have resulted from such fires. A number of national, state and local organizations are working on educating the public on the risks of backyard burning. The federal government does not currently have laws or regulations addressing this problem. However, numerous states and localities have banned open burning and the list is growing rapidly. The problem of open burning may have increased in recent years because the cost of proper disposal of solid waste has risen and is more likely to be charged by weight and to the individual. Recycling and proper waste disposal have also become less convenient in many areas. Therefore, part of the solution to open burning will be improvements in convenience and affordability of local solid waste management systems.
What Can I Do?
Personnel involved in burning operations should be appropriately protected from the fire, heat, smoke and in the case of human waste, also from direct contact with human waste to prevent contact with germs that can cause illness or disease. Responsible persons should plan the burn to minimize impact to those who may be in the vicinity and downwind from the fire. When possible, burning operations should be located where prevailing winds blow the smoke away from people. Avoid inhaling heavy smoke and when out of doors, stay upwind from the smoke whenever possible. Consult medical personnel experienced in environmental health if you are concerned about the smoke you may breathe, and ask about measures you should take to prevent exposure.The following materials should be separated from other materials to be burned and alternate means of disposal identified:
* compressed gas containers;
* automotive/marine batteries;
* asbestos-containing materials (shingles, siding, insulation);
* pesticides;
* explosives;
* automotive oils;
* fuels and fluids and
* electrical equipment, mercury filled light bulbs.
