{"id":17019,"date":"2013-11-08T11:48:05","date_gmt":"2013-11-08T16:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filtersfast.com\/blog\/?p=17019"},"modified":"2014-02-24T10:51:39","modified_gmt":"2014-02-24T15:51:39","slug":"burning-leaves-health-hazard-air-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.filtersfast.com\/blog\/burning-leaves-health-hazard-air-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Leaf Burning\u2026Hazardous to Your Health & Leads to Air Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo courtesy of TheGazette.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When asked your favorite season of the year, many people choose fall.\u00a0 Milder weather means more time spent outdoors enjoying nature. Apples, pumpkins and other harvest decorations come out of storage and the holiday season kicks off.\u00a0 One of the tell tale signs that fall has arrived is the smell of burning leaves. You know the drill.\u00a0 That time of year when the seasons change and your grass is suddenly completely covered in fallen, dead leaves.\u00a0 Many of us remedy this issue by spending the day or days ranking leaves into piles meant for burning.\u00a0 Although this may be an annual tradition for many of us, it may not be the best idea.<\/p>\n

Aside from the fact that burning leaves is against the law in many places due to safety concerns, did you know that it can also be hazardous to our health?<\/p>\n

The smoke produced from burning leaves contains high concentrations of microscopic particles and dust. Once inhaled, these particulates can embed deep within lung tissue. \u00a0According to The Breath Campaign<\/a>, breathing these particulates can lead to respiratory infection, reduce the volume of air inhaled and impair the lungs\u2019 ability to use that air. Particulate matter can also trigger asthma attacks in some people. Various toxic gases and chemicals, called hydrocarbons, are produced by the burning leaves. These can cause eye, nose, throat and lung irritation.<\/p>\n

In addition to health concerns, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)<\/a>, multiple leaf and yard waste fires burning at the same time in a particular geographic region can cause air pollution similar to that from factories and motor vehicles.<\/p>\n

There are other ways to deal with your yard full of dead leaves which are safer, more environmentally friendly and without health risks.<\/p>\n