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Burning leaves is hazardous to health, environment Three alternatives are better than burning: Mulching, composting, or bagging them for free pickup By Barbara Armitage I think that Fall fell in my yard this week.Tis the season for raking leaves - I look at it as an early Christmas present from Mother Nature her way of helping me get a head start on my gardens for next spring. That's what fallen leaves are for, to replenish nutrients in the soil, help hold moisture in and even as a type of weed control. That is if you use them like nature intended. To often our need to control our environment takes over and what would have been beneficial to people and the earth is turned into exactly the opposite. The old custom of burning leaves in the fall may be the worst offender of all. The smoke from leaf fires can cause serious health problems. Leaf smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat of healthy adults. But it can be much more harmful to small children, the elderly, and people with asthma or other lung or heart diseases. This is because the smoke from leaf fires is made up almost entirely of tiny particles that can reach deep into lung tissue and cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath - symptoms that might not occur until several days after exposure to large amounts of leaf smoke. Besides being an irritant, leaf smoke contains many hazardous chemicals, including carbon monoxide and benzo(a)pyrene.Carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin in the bloodstream and thus reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and lungs. Carbon monoxide can be very dangerous for young children with immature lungs, smokers, the elderly, and people with chronic heart or lung diseases. Benzo(a)pyrene is known to cause cancer and is believed to be a major factor in lung cancer caused by cigarette smoke. It is found in cigarette smoke and coal tar as well as leaf smoke. Leaf fires in rural areas can reduce air quality standards significantly. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies, concentrations of air pollutants resulting from leaf burning can be so high that the air does not meet federal health standards. In fact, in some areas burning leaves and brush causes much higher levels of air pollution than all other forms of air pollution combined (such as factories, vehicles, and lawn and garden equipment). The threat of fire is another real concern with burning leaves. Adair County is in the second worst drought area of the nation right now and even though restrictions on open burning have recently been lifted the fire danger remains extreme. Kentucky has one of the most diverse hardwood species mixes in the nation providing jobs for Kentuckians and homes for wildlife. There are 11.9 million acres of forestland in Kentucky with eighty-nine percent of our forestland privately owned. With an average of over 1,400 forest fires in Kentucky each year wildfire is a major threat to our forestland. Ninety-nine percent of all wildfires in Kentucky are human caused and preventable.Arson is the leading cause of wildfires with uncontrolled debris burning second. Leaf burning reduces visibility, creates safety hazards, causes a nuisance, soils buildings and other property, and creates additional demands on local police and fire protection. Even though leaf burning may be legal it is not a good way to dispose of fallen leaves. There are options to burning your leaves try mulching them where they lay or composting them to enrich your soil. A third alternative to burning your leaves is to arrange for them to be picked up for composting. I will gladly pick up your bagged leaves at your convenience. The leaves are composted at Tucker's Station Farms and later used in garden beds. Call Barbara Armitage at 270.250.2979 to arrange time and date. This story was posted on 2008-10-20 12:14:31
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Senator Mitch McConnell to be in Columbia today at 1:00pm Breaking News: KY 61 to be built in phases, starting now Class of 1979 organizational meeting on Oct. 27, 2008 ACHS Grand Champions at Cardinal Classic, London, KY Free bagged leaf pick up 2008 Fall PRIDE Cleanup: Album & Report Garden Club sets new Personal Best at PRIDE Clean Up LWC to host presidential, senate race forum Gov. Beshear to be at Metcalfe Courthouse, Tuesday Classic Car, Tractor Show at North Metcalfe School View even more articles in topic News |
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