ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH EFFECTS OF BURNING ON THE PLAYA

You're going to Burning Man this year, and you've decided to create something -- a shelter, art installation or something else -- and haul it out to the playa. Like most, you are working with materials at hand or those freely or cheaply obtainable. And, like some, you've decided that whatever it is, it probably won't make the trip back with you, because you plan to burn it at some point during the week. It is called BURNING Man right?

The best policy is to haul it out. Putting your structure back on the truck is much less time-consuming than cleaning up the burn scars. But if you must burn stuff before you leave, there are a few things you should know.

If you are going to burn your art, read the Survival Guide , the Earth Guardian's section of the website and the Playa Protection Plan , also found on the website. Additionally, there are environmental and health issues you need to know.

What's being burned? Everything, it seems. Common components are PVC, rebar, wood, metal scaffolding, plastic, chicken wire, parachutes, fabric, paint, glue, etc. Add to that list items such as old couches, electrical components and decorative items, and you can see there are a wide variety of materials being burned every year. Many of these items can pose a serious environmental and health risk as they burn.

What toxins are produced when you burn?

In order to get a good idea of the toxins produced when items like these are burned, we looked at the production of toxins from accidental construction fires and open burning of household wastes.

According to a study done by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, open household waste fires burn at low temperatures and can result in particulate emissions, heavy metal vapors, acid gases and other pollutants. Most are highly toxic and some can cause cancer.

Unlike incinerated waste, fire in a barrel or pile does not burn hot enough to destroy the poisonous substances released by burning materials. Since there are no safeguards to capture the toxins released in the smoke, they are released in a concentrated form at ground level where they are easily inhaled.

A study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that each pound of garbage burned in a barrel emits 40 times more particulates than if that same pound of garbage was burned in a high-temperature incinerator with air pollution controls.

Another chief concern is the production of dioxin and furan. Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemicals known to man; burning common household trash at low temperatures can form these compounds, both of which are carcinogenic. Benzopyrene is another potent carcinogen produced by low temperature fires. Open fire smoke contains 70 parts per million of carcinogenic benzopyrenes, about 350 times higher than cigarette smoke.

Studies of construction fires point to another major hazard of playa burning. PVC -- the playa construction material of choice -- is highly dangerous to both personal health and the environment when burned. PVC is one of the worst offenders when it comes to toxic substances. PVC can emit highly corrosive and toxic hydrogen chloride when burned. It is also is a source of dioxin and phosgene gas when burned at temperatures below complete combustion. Coincidentally, phosgene, an odorless gas that can damage the lungs, is one of the substances used in chemical warfare. Samples of soot taken from fires in PVC-containing buildings that have burned have been found to contain dioxins in very high concentrations. The soot, however, represents only a small part of the problem: more than 90 of the dioxins produced in a structural fire are found in the gaseous phase and escape into the atmosphere.

For these reasons, PVC should never be burned. Please make sure anything to be burned is PVC-free.

Environmental and Health Effects

The kinds of toxins you are exposed to depend on what is being burned. For example, treated wood releases arsenic, wood painted with lead-based paints may release lead, plastics may contain metal additives used as heat stabilizers and colorants. When burned, these plastics may emit arsenic and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium.

The concentration of gases or particulates and the duration of exposure can have an acute effect on your level of risk. Emissions from a burn become mixed with surrounding air, diluting them enough that, in most cases, you can walk away without any obvious side effects.

However, some of these substances can immediately cause eye irritation, lung irritation, asthma, or restricted breathing. Children are most at risk, since they breathe more quickly than adults and absorb up to six times as much contamination by breathing the same air. PVC especially can cause an immediate health risk.

Less immediate, but more lasting, are the environmental dangers that occur. The ash and soot, which may be dispersed by the wind or leached by water, will contain toxic contaminants. These toxins will then be leached from any ash remaining at the site. This could lead to the contamination of surface water or ground water, and unquestionably to soil contamination. For this reason, Burning Man is now requiring that all burning be done in the public pyres located at the end of each street, and that all ash be bagged and hauled out by the person that burned.

Building to Burn - Safer Materials

In reality, there are no materials that are safe to burn. Everything emits a wide range of toxins, some more directly lethal than others. Even plain, untreated wood contains over 100 different chemicals or compounds when burned. Some of these compounds are extremely poisonous and carcinogenic. Cancer of the skin in chimney sweeps was linked to soot as early as 1775.

If you do intend on burning an item, there are some materials that should definitely be avoided. Some of these are:

At the Burn

If you are going to burn an item, hopefully it was constructed with that purpose (and the list above) in mind. Don't burn anything that is toxic. It is dangerous to you, your neighbor and the environment. Strip out any carpeting, plastic, large pieces of furniture and decorative items before burning to minimize the amount of toxins released.

If you plan on burning, use our burn pyres. "Never let it hit the ground" is our new motto. Bring a shovel and adequate containers to haul your ash and debris out with you.

Keep small children away from burning piles. That goes for anyone with asthma or other breathing problems as well.