written by pankaj chhabra on 24/4/14
In India, daily domestic waste includes plastic wrappers, plastic bottles, paper, pieces of glass, metal scrap, kitchen scraps, medical waste and hazardous waste etc. Domestic waste is collected on road side earmarked as kura sangrah. Very little is picked up by rag pickers for recycle. Rest is taken for dumping to the dumpsite. It is very often; open burning of garbage is seen at dumpsite.
Smoke from garbage burning releases Dioxin and heaxachlorobenzene. Dioxin is a general term that describes a group of hundreds of chemicals. The most toxic compound is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or TCDD. Heaxachlorobenzene (HCB) is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. Both chemical affects human health because they comes in the body through air,food especially animal food due to its lipophilic nature,the ash mixed in the soil,underground water through seepage in rainy season and sediments
Dioxin is carcinogenic. Scientists studied the toxicity of TCDD for many years and found that this small molecule may affect as short term and long term. Effects can be seen as -chloracne- skin lesions of dioxin poisoning low doses may affect endocrine function & GIT function •suppressed fetal lymphocyte development & maturation •hepatocarcinogenesis • decreased host resistance to pathogens & tumor, suppress antibody production •lungs, heart & circulation problems •Brain function
Long term exposure of hexachlorobenzene(HCB) may damage fetus, lead to kidney and liver damage, cause fatigue & skin irritation. HCB is considered a probable human carcinogens and is toxic by all routes of exposure.
To reduce the carcinogenic effects on human,one should segregate the waste, send it for recycle and try to reduce the amount of domestic waste
Ecological Living 
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