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Does burning leaves cause cancer?
Read in one of my women's magazines that burning leaves can be carcinogenic, releasing particular into the air that can be cancerous? Is this true?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vega Sinclair on -
I wouldn't be surprised. It seems everything is carcinogenic especially when burnt. I've heard that grilling can cause cancer from over-cooking. I'm sure the leaves just like tobacco leaves creates a lot of different chemicals from being burned. If I was burning leaves, I would try to avoid the smoke and stand down wind.
Vega Sinclair
Health Insurance & International Medical Insurance
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Permalink Reply by Michael Vincent on
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The smoke generated by a large number of simultaneous leaf fires can cause significant 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 visible 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. So 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 in animals and is believed to be a major factor in lung cancer caused by cigarette smoke and coal tar as well as leaf smoke.
Essential Oils
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Permalink Reply by Mia Smith on
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How does illegal open burning harm the environment?
* Emits toxic chemicals into the air we breathe. Rain eventually washes these toxic chemicals onto our land and into our waterways.
* Forms ‘bad' ozone (smog) which can degrade building materials and damage crops and other vegetation.
* Contributes to acid rain. Acid rain causes fish kills, plant and property damage.
* Can cause cancer, heart and lung damage and has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
* Increase your chances of catching colds, the flu, and other diseases.
* Can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, and eye irritation.
Healing Cancer
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Permalink Reply by Susan W. Jones on
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Another concern when burning leaves is whether or not poison ivy leaves may be present. If they are the result can be quite unpleasant..
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