COVID-19 Fall Out: Burning of Tyres - Actions and Consequences

Written by Ife Adeniji & Dapo Omolade https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/ifeoluwa-adeniji-90230046/; https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/dapo-omolade-3757856/

One of the consequences of #StayAtHome is the unbelievable increase in threat and attack on people and property. This has also led to the need for Self Help by various communities. You see community men stay awake to protect the lives of families and property in the community.  In the midst of this, it is strategic to have the place lighted up and as it is peculiar to our nation is the unassured availability of electricity from national grid. Burning of tire has then the final resort. These tyres are burnt all night for visibility and awareness.

I will share some documented effects of burning of tyres to the place, people and property. Added also will some recommended control measures.

1. The study carried out in Nigeria as published by Research gate on the assessment of environmental impact of open burning of tyre by L. A. Jimonda et al has significantly established that gaseous pollutants (CO, NO2, and SO2) are present at varying concentrations in all categories of tyres when burnt.(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319137745_Assessment_of_environmental_impact_of_open_burning_of_scrap_tyres_on_ambient_air_quality#pf8)

2. Open tyre fire emissions include “criteria” pollutants, such as particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SOx) etc. They also include “non-criteria” hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), Both criteria and non-criteria pollutants can cause significant short- and long-term health effects. Depending on the length and degree of exposure, these health effects could include irritation of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, respiratory effects, central nervous system depression, and cancer. (https://www.ecomena.org/tire-burning-kilns/)

3. Especially troubling is the exposure that children living within these communities are inadvertently being subjected to. Children, foetuses, nursing babies, elderly, asthmatics, and immune suppressed individuals are all much more vulnerable to the pollutants released burning tires. Even a nursing woman can transfer the pollutions she inhales to a baby through the fat in her breast milk. During breast-feeding, infants are exposed to higher concentrations of organic pollutants than at any subsequent time in their lives. Burning tires only adds to that toxic burden. (https://www.ecomena.org/tire-burning-kilns/).

4. Black carbon was also found as a major pollutant from open burning of scarp tyres (Bond et al. 2004). Most of these pollutants, especially dioxins, are carried over long distances from emission sources, and they persist in the atmosphere for decades without breaking down into less harmless compounds and accumulate in solid, water and food sources (Lee et al, 2003, 2005)

5. Various health challenges such as nervous system disorder, dermal and eye irritations, respiratory complications among others have been linked to the length and the degree of exposure to the emissions from open burning of tyres (Anf and Emad 2014). 

Control measure to this risk of harm include:

1. Eliminate the hazard- Do not burn tyres.

2. Substitution- If you must burn for visibility, do not burn tyres because of the health and environmental effect.

3. Isolation- While this is only reducing the risk, you can take the tyre far from people’s exposure especially from home where resident will be asleep.

 What should you do to mitigate the effect of the burnt tyre?

1. Dust off the surfaces around the house because the particles from the smoke would have settled all night

2. Avoid direct air in an advent of burning of tire.

3. Use window blinds and curtain if the window has to be wide open.