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Spotlight- Autumn Leaves Should Fall, Not Burn
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By Jill Reigh, Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania As the days and nights become cooler, Pennsylvania’s beautiful canvas of green foliage is turning into a myriad of colors before falling to the ground.
Some great traditions surround the falling of these colorful treasures – they’re perfect as decoration around pumpkins and mums on the front porch, for jumping into when raked into big piles and rolling around, laughing all the while!
After the children have finished jumping, many traditionalists in the Keystone State then rake those leaves once more and burn them.
I grew up helping my dad burn leaves once we were finished playing. But as the Communications Manager for PROP, the state recycling association, I have learned the error of that practice. Leaf -burning releases particulate matter and hydrocarbons, which contain a number of toxic, irritant and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds, into the air.
Particulate matter composed of tiny pollutant-laden particles, cause health problems including asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and other respiratory problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Did you know that children absorb up to six times more by-products from the air as adults? EPA reports confirm this statistic. So when those leaves are releasing toxins, your children are getting a super dose that reaches the deepest regions of their lungs, where they can remain for years.
Outdoor burning is a leading cause of wildfires when conditions are dry. When the leaves are wet, they cannot burn efficiently, resulting in incomplete combustion. According to Jim Garthe of Penn State University’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering fact sheet, “Banning Burn Barrels,” incomplete combustion (which occurs when leaves are damp), causes the leaves to burn poorly, creating compounds including propenal and acetic acid. Propenal, according to Garthe, “is responsible for the red streaming eyes we experience near open waste fires.”
Leaf smoke, again thanks to incomplete combustion, also contains carbon monoxide. This invisible gas, according to the EPA, is absorbed into the bloodstream when inhaled. The result is less oxygen in red blood cells as they travel to body tissue. That is the major threat of leaf burning to the unborn, newborns, children and adults who have respiratory problems.
So, though traditions are important elements to the fabric of our families and society, this is one tradition we need to replace with a better idea. Burning organic material such as leaves is contrary to what nature intends for their life cycle.
Think about it this way: did you have a vegetable garden this year or did you share in the bounty of your neighbor’s garden tomatoes and other fresh produce? Would you like an even more successful garden next year? If you are ready to be a little “greener” in your habits, then instead of burning those leaves, discarding all their wealth of nourishment away in a toxic cloud of smoke, start a new tradition with one of the following alternatives:
1. Start a compost pile – Place leaves and grass clippings along with organic materials from your kitchen including vegetable and fruit scraps and coffee grounds (avoid meat, grease or dairy products as they can be rather odorous) in a pile or bin, maintain adequate moisture and turn your pile periodically to mix it with air and keep the heat at a reasonable temperature. With compost, you want your pile to get hot enough to break down the microorganisms but not to be so hot that it burns. (For details on composting, visit the PROP website at www.proprecycles.org, click on “Composting” and then “Home Composting” for lots of simple ideas and tips.) When handled properly, you will create your own mulch for next year’s flower beds and garden. When leaves and grass clippings, which contain nitrogen, are composted together they create an excellent organic fertilizer - just the way nature intended!
2. Don’t have space to compost leaves and grass clippings in your yard? Take them to a local compost facility or community-wide composting site. If you don’t have access to a compost facility, perhaps a local farmer has his own compost pile and would take them.
3. Mow your leaves into your grass. If your mower can chop the leaves small enough, don’t bag them. Use them on the lawn to protect it over the winter and nourish the ground in the early spring. Or if you prefer to bag them, sprinkle the chopped leaves over dormant plants for the winter.
Whether you decide to start a new tradition of composting or just chopping your once-lovely leaves, your family will literally breathe easier without those burning leaves. All of you can also be proud of yourselves, knowing that your new tradition will also benefit your yard and sky now and for many years to come.
Jill Reigh is the Communications Manager for PROP. She can be reached at 1-800-769-7767 or by sending email to: jreigh@proprecycles.org.
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10/18/2010 |
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