Dangers of Incineration
CANCER AND HEALTH
Emissions from "state of the art" incinerators contain dioxins furans (toxic chemicals)
and heavy metals, which can cause cancer. Researchers in Britain have found elevated
incidents of cancer in the lung, stomach, larynx and bladder within 7.5 km of some
incinerator locations. The USA Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed the
cancer-causing effect of dioxins.
Additional health hazards include altered sexual development,
male and female reproductive problems, suppression of the immune system, diabetes and
a wide range of hormonal effects. The effects of dioxin emissions are however apparent
over 30 mile or more.
It is hypocritical to promote smokeless solid fuel, lead free petrol and no smoking
public areas, all in the interests of health, while at the same time promoting
incineration
TOXIC ASH
Some 25% by weight of what goes into the incinerator comes out as hazardous ash.
In particular, 5% of what goes in, comes out as highly toxic flue ash. Toxic chemicals
in this ash include dioxins, lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and chromium. Most of this
ash will probably be disposed in dumps. In some countries, incinerator ash has been used for road or footpath building.
In Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, residents were warned to avoid any vegetables grown
in vegetable allotments because ash from a nearby incinerator was used to build
pathways through the gardens.
LANDFILL
The transport of any incinerator ash produced to Dublin Port or, more likely,
its long-term storage in the proposed super-dump in Kentstown will pose a huge
safety problem. Accidental spills on site or leaks during transport, or the
loading/unloading of these vehicles all present the chance of an accidental
release of these toxic elements into the environment.
TOXIC DUMPS
These are the natural consequences of incineration. Much more dioxin will leave
the incinerator as ash than through emissions. Toxic lead, cadmium, arsenic and
mercury will leech out gradually from the dump. To date, there are no facilties
for the safe long-term storage of toxic ash from incinerators. Assuming that
the EU ban the transport of toxic waste between countries in the near future,
and in the absence of hugely expensive safe long term toxic ash storage
facilities, it is reasonable to conclude that it will be dumped at landfill sites,
such as the proposed site in Kentstown.
Incineration does not therefore remove the need for landfill - it just makes
smaller dumps much more toxic to the community
DIOXINS IN OUR FOOD
Dioxins accumulate in fats - meats, poultry, milk and even a nursing mother's milk.
They tend to work their way up through the food chain into humans. Any milk with
dioxins fed to babies will cause hormonal and developmental problems. Dioxins
accumulate and are very difficult to break down in the body. New Zealand farmers and their
government emphatically rejected incineration for this very reason.
In Belgium, a recent dioxin scare recently triggered the virtual collapse of the
domestic food industry. There are no facilities for dioxin tests in Ireland. The first
casualty will be the dairy sector.
In some places, farmers within a 30 mile radius from the incinerator site have
found their milk un-saleable to the larger food conglomerates.
OTHER RISKS
There is also the risk of catastrophic dioxin releases from accidental fires or
explosions. A fire broke out in the incinerator waste reception hall in Dundee, Scotland,
which prevented fire-fighters entering the hall for six hours. Am explosion of 30kg of
dioxins in Seveso, Italy in 1974 produced hormone changes in people living in the
vicinity. People who live near incinerators or dumps containing incinerator ash will
be exposed to these hazards.
More..
- Dioxins - Dioxin Emissions and their Effect on Humans
- Toxic Ash - The toxicity of the ash left by incineration and where the ash might go.