29 % of Small Particulate Matter come from Trash Fires

The Main Takeaways from this Blog Post

• In the world as a whole, 29 % of Small Particulate Matter come from Trash Fires.
• Studies show that 8-15 % of small particles in Delhi's air are from trash fires.
• All the noise about air pollution has not lead to appreciable reductions in Delhi's small particulate matter. It was down just 6 % in 2019 compared to 2018.
• Despite construction and industrial activity, brick kilns and vehicles being completely shut down in the lock down period, particulate matter went down only by 30 %. This implies that household emissions, open burning, diesel generators and dust may together contribute some 70 % of the particulate matter in metros, apart from coal fired power plants.
• A study from Ahmendabad also showed that the smoke from burning roadside trash piles can be at least as dangerous as the more obvious culprits, including vehicular pollution and pollution from factories.
• Shortage of landfill capacity has consistently been touted as the reason to push for waste to energy incinerators in India. These have proven to be notorious sources of air pollution and highly toxic ash residues - their pollution being 14 times that from coal plants ! So if you dont compost your wastes, you eventually get highly polluting incinerators !
•  It is estimated that (improper) waste management through landfills and biomass burning is the second biggest source of climate-damaging methane gas, after coal mining.
• There is an association between mismanagement of solid wastes and 22 human diseases.

Trash Fires are a Serious source of Pollution

Residents and governments often burn piles of their trash in the open (or trash in dumpsites spontaneously keeps combusting because of generation of methane in anaerobic conditions) - removing the garbage from the land but transferring it to the skies. Some 40 percent of the world’s waste may be dealt with in this way.

In the world as a whole, as much as 29 percent of global anthropogenic emissions of small particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs come from trash fires. About 10 percent of mercury emissions come from open burning, as well as 40 percent of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Such pollution can cause lung and neurological diseases, and has been linked to heart attacks and some cancers.

8-15 % of small particles in Delhi's air are from trash fires

IIT Kanpur study on Delhi in 2015 showed 7.5 % of the PM 2.5 concentrations in the air were from open waste burning (though some other studies show the contribution of open waste burning to be 15 %) - some eight times the contribution of industry !

Shutting down construction and industrial activity, brick kilns and vehicles brought down particulate matter by only 30 %

Particulate matter went down by 30 % in the four big metros of india during lockdown of 74 days. Out of the eight primary polluting sources in India, four were completely closed during the lockdown period — namely construction and industrial activity, brick kilns and vehicles.

During the lock down, power demand plummeted by 20 % due to a decline in industrial activity. Coal-fired thermal power plants are one of the key sources of air pollution in India. 

Sources like household emissions, open burning, diesel generators and dust were operational during the lockdown period - this implies that it is these sources that may together contribute some 70 % of the particulate matter in metros, apart from coal fired power plants.

This is an important pointer to show how open burning of garbage is a critical contributor to air pollution.

Another study has estimated that emissions from biomass and open burning of waste contribute to almost 20–30% of the total air pollution in cities like Delhi. 

The dumpsites are riddled with instances of dangerous methane discharge, incessant fire outbreaks and landfill slides.

If you dont compost wet wastes, you get highly polluting incinerators !

Shortage of landfill capacity has consistently been touted as the reason to push for waste to energy incinerators in India. These have proven to be notorious sources of air pollution and highly toxic ash residues - their pollution being 14 times that from coal plants ! The most lethal incineration emissions are dioxins and furans which are highly carcinogenic and persist in the environment.

Despite all the brouhaha, Delhi’s particulate matter is going down at an excruciatingly slow speed – it was down just 6 % in 2019 compared to 2018.

Burning trash is as dangerous as pollution from vehicles & factories

In the recently released issue brief on air pollution in Ahmedabad, the burning of trash gets a passing mention as a contributor to air pollution. It turns out that the smoke from burning roadside trash piles can be at least as dangerous as the more obvious culprits, including vehicular pollution and pollution from factories.

For instance, in tests conducted on samples of emissions from several garbage fires in Bengaluru found that somebody standing near one of these fires is getting a dose of toxins 1,000 times greater than they would from the ambient air.

A study in Nigeria found Levels of suspended particulate matter, Carbon Monoxide, CO2, and Methane within the vicinity of the dump site fires, were above regulatory limits. Dump site fires in the study area could threaten the health of anyone.

It is estimated that (improper) waste management through landfills and biomass burning is the second biggest source of climate-damaging methane gas, after coal mining.

Pollution from trash poses serious health risks

There is an association between mismanagement of solid wastes and 22 human diseases.

A study by Ganga Ram Hospital has revealed that 50% of the population of Delhi is at risk of contracting lung cancer even if they do not smoke. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health ranked India number one with 2.51 million deaths in 2015 due to pollution.