Many people choose to burn trash so it doesn't accumulate and disturb their comfort. However, only a few among them realize that such action is actually a form of pollution. The reason is, smoke from burning trash contains toxic substances, all of which are very dangerous for the sustainability of nature and humans.
Activities that Spreads the Hazards of Trash Burning
Burning trash may not immediately disturb your safety and comfort, but according to Dr. Rizki Tamin's review, some of the activities below can actually of spreading its negative effects:
1. Playing around burning trash areas
Children who frequently play near burning trash areas may be exposed to the hazardous consequences. The child could accidentally swallows soil or inhales toxic ash resulting from the burning.
This is because ash can settle around the burning site for a relatively long time, including inside homes. Another prolonged impact is that burning trash without proper supervision has the potential to trigger unintended fires.
2. Contaminated food by smoke and ash can be harmful
If you burn trash near your home, it's very likely that the smoke will enter your living spaces. Ash and smoke from burning actually contain hazardous residues, such as mercury, metals, arsenic, and lead.
Indeed, the situation worsens when ash remnants are buried, since these can be absorbed by nearby fruits and vegetables. As a result, these contaminated plants might be consumed by people, posing health risks.
Additionally, animals that consume these plants can also become vectors for spreading harmful substances. If you consume meat, eggs, or milk from animals that have been contaminated, it will also impact your personal health, especially if this consumption is continuous and at high levels.
Some of the health issues resulting from long-term consumption of toxic substances include kidney and brain damage, hypertension, and cardiovascular disorders.
3. Inhaling Smoke From Burning Waste
Smoke from burning waste contains a number of toxic substances such as arsenic, furans, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), dioxins, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde. The effects can be very severe depending on how long and frequently you inhale this toxic smoke.
However, of course, the health issues that arise from this action can vary, ranging from cough, nausea, rash, asthma flare-ups, headaches, to watery or red eyes. In the long term, it can even cause other disorders in the liver, reproductive system, and immune system.
Whether inhaling it in the short or long term, surely you don't want to experience problems due to your own negligence, right?
The Right Action to Deal with Pile of Trash
Seeing its significant dangers and how frequently people burn trash, you might start wondering, then what are the appropriate actions to tackle the pile of waste?
Here are some things you can do to contribute to smart waste management:
1. Avoid Food Leftover
It is indeed disheartening, but leftover food is one of the major contributors to waste in many metropolitan areas. How could it not be? It feels all too common to witness people unable to finish their meals when hanging out in restaurants or casual eateries.
Therefore, at the very least, ensure you are not among those who leave food uneaten. Estimate as best as you can how much food you will consume, and do not overorder. If you find yourself still hungry afterward, you can always order more.
Even if you must leave food uneaten, you can give it to someone else in need of assistance. This will help reduce waste and, at the same time, decrease the number of people going hungry.
2. Dispose of trash in designated areas
This is a trivial matter and you have heard and seen far too often. However, the reality is that many people in this country still neglect it. Trash is often found scattered everywhere, especially in public places like tourist areas.
Indeed, if consistently practiced, the impact can be significant, where air pollution can decrease, and the environment looks beautiful and clean.
Therefore, be part of the people who dispose of trash in its proper place, and don't forget to sort it first, distinguishing between inorganic and organic waste.
3. Menggunakan alat makan dan kantong belanja pribadi
Using personal dining utensils and shopping bags contributes to efforts to reduce plastic use. This is because plastic can degrade soil quality, and it is notoriously difficult to decompose.
Therefore, you can start switching to using tumblers and tote bags when traveling. Preparing your own meals can also become a good habit in efforts to foster a healthy lifestyle.
Plastic is Hard to Decompose, How Can We Deal with It?
Even though campaigns to reduce plastic usage have been intensified, it's generally quite difficult to completely avoid using this material. After all, plastic is the cheapest and most readily available option for many items. In that case, how can we manage its waste?
1. Incineration
Plastic is made from natural gas or petroleum, making it possible to be reprocessed as an energy source through the process of incineration.
However, incineration might not be the best option because it can produce harmful particles that have the potential to harm human health and the environment. Typically, this method is chosen by large companies to create new energy.
2. Biodegradable Plastic
Biodegradable refers to the decomposition of plastics due to the action of living organisms. This approach can solve some problems in waste management, especially for packaging that is used only once but is difficult to separate from organic waste.
However, biodegradability still raises controversy, as there is a suspicion that the process can release metals into the surrounding environment, even though plastics are typically metabolized into water and carbon dioxide.
Groups of People At Risk
Although waste incineration is generally harmful to humans, the following groups have a higher potential to experience its adverse effects.
1. Elders
Elderly individuals are more likely to suffer from lung or heart diseases compared to younger people.
2. Individuals with lung or heart diseases
Inhaling smoke from waste burning can further worsen health conditions in this group.
3. Individuals with diabetic diseases
This is usually related to cardiovascular disorders, which have the potential to worsen if exposed to polluted air from the remnants of burning.
4. Pregnant Women
Not only the health of the mother, but the fetus in the womb can also experience the dangers resulting from waste burning.
Use Air Purifier to Minimalize Air Pollution Caused By Trash Burning
This is how air purifier with maintain air quality in your home.
1. The Benefit
Installing an air purifier at home can provide several benefits, including reduced air pollution, allergic reactions, spread of diseases and germs, and overall improvement in air quality.
2. Find the Right Brand
Unfortunately, not all air purifier brands offer a complete package of benefits as mentioned above. If you're looking for one that does, consider using DREW air purifier, the best product with high-quality aspects and components, including filters sourced from Japan.
DREW Air Purifier (@drewcare.id) • Instagram photos and videos
Although air purifiers can't instantly eliminate air pollution, they can be a suitable solution to protect yourself and your family from its adverse effects. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that the product you use is of high quality, and DREW is here to meet your needs for a comfortable home environment through its website drewcare.id.