It is learnt that a fire broke out in a shed at the Sonsoddo waste dump site on Thursday morning. It must be said that fire incidents have been reported at the legacy dump site at a disturbing frequency. Pollutants released due to low burning can cause a wide range of serious health effects, even at extremely low levels. These can include reproductive impairment, developmental injuries and increased risk of diabetes. Other chemicals, such as benzene derivatives, are released by the burning of tires at dumpsites.
These are suspected human carcinogens which have been linked to leukemia in humans. It is learnt that methane gas generated by the waste caused the fire. Landfill methane results from the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste. Tossing leftover food in the bin along with dry waste is the main reason methane is generated at garbage dump sites. The mixed waste leads to this methane getting trapped in the dump. The greenhouse gas can heat up to 70 degree Celsius, which due to the lack of oxygen at garbage dumps can lead to fire incidents.
In the presence of bacteria, organic matter and water react to produce increased heat, methane gas, and carbon dioxide gas as well as other gases and degraded organic material. With the correct conditions present, spontaneous combustion can occur. Hence the first and most important step to prevent fires at waste dump sites is to segregate the garbage into dry and wet waste at the source.
