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Uganda: Why Leaders Should Not Ignore Burning of Plastics
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New Vision (Kampala)
OPINION
2 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008
Kenneth Tumusiime
Kampala
Many households use polythene bags and plastics in their day-to-day lives, especially for shopping and storage of items. Sadly, few of them know the dangers that the plastics pose to their lives, especially if disposed off wrongly. Most people dispose of plastic items by burning them, which is dangerous.
When plastics are burnt, they emit gases into the atmosphere, producing pollutants that can cause illnesses like cancer, heart and lung diseases, irritation of the respiratory tract, aggravated asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary and acute respiratory disease, sore throats and breathing difficulties.
The pollutants can also cause ear, nose and throat diseases, dizziness, headache and slowed reflexes, visual acuity and alertness, respiratory illnesses, fluid collection in the lungs, fibrotic changes, eye and growth defects. They also affect DNA, immune, reproductive and digestive systems and lead to dullness of the body senses. The pollutants may also cause heavy metal collection in the body.
Some of the pollutants which are released into the atmosphere when plastics are burnt include particulate matter, sulphur oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds. Others are nitrogen oxides, polynuclear hydrocarbons, aldehydes, dioxins and furans. Heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium produce hydrochloric acid and hydrogen sulfide. The polythene bags (kaveera), especially the black ones, which are commonly used to light charcoal stoves in most homes, are composed of carbon black, ultraviolet absorbers and other additives in the form of colorants. If such polythene bags are burnt, gaseous emissions are released into the atmosphere and may cause some of the above illnesses.
Plastics are made from the by-products of petroleum gas, natural gas or coal. There are two major categories of plastics; thermo sets which cannot be re-melted and recycled, and thermoplastics which can be re-melted and recycled.
Plastics are mainly identified by their types, codes at the bottom of the containers and packaging.
The most dangerous plastic is PVC. When burnt, such plastic produces dioxins and furans in the form of particulate matter (smoke). Hundreds of dioxins are known to exist in the particulate and if inhaled, they could cause cancer. However, the most studied and most toxic of the dioxins is Tetra Chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCCD). Such dioxins are insoluble in water, but soluble in lipids (fats). Ninety percent of the human intake of dioxins is in the form of animal fat.
Exposure to such dioxins can result into cancer, delay in nervous system development in children, diabetes, liver and heart diseases and skin problems. TCCD dioxins bio-accumulate in food chains, especially through chicken skin, fish skin and all other animal fat.
Promote better disposal
- Every Ugandan should avoid burning plastics because this is against the law. People living in Kampala should bring the plastics to the Plastic Recycling Industries in Nakawa.
Those who are far from Kampala should gazette places where plastic waste can be dumped.
- Members of Parliament should mobilise local council leaders in their respective constituencies to be trained about the dangers of burning plastics. These can disseminate the information to their communities. lLocal council leaders should set an example to other residents by being the first to stop burning plastic waste.
- Religious leaders should organise workshops where they can be trained about the dangers of burning plastics. Thereafter, they can pass on the information to their congregations.
- The campaign should also include education institutions since many students are affected by poor plastic waste management.
- The National Environment Management Authority gazetted some police officers as environmental inspectors. These have a key role to play, especially in law enforcement to ensure proper waste disposal.
- The Ministry of Health should strengthen the public health department in its outreach awareness programmes. This could begin with sensitising all the staff in the referral hospitals on how to manage waste.
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The writer is the managing director Enviro-plan Consult LTD
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