THE LETHAL CONSEQUENCES OF BREATHING FIRE.

The article discusses the lethal consequences of breathing fire. Roughly 2 1/2 million tonnes of municipal waste are incinerated in Great Britain each year. The same toxic chemicals that were in plastic, paper, textiles and wood when they went into the fire are still there during and after combustion. And their release into the air is still associated with a range of human health problems including cancer, reproductive problems and learning difficulties in children. But the intense heat of incineration also helps create a whole range of new compounds with a completely unknown potential for toxicity. They include gas, microscopic particles and ash. INSET: WHAT GOES INTO THE ENVIRONMENT?.