"Old habits die hard, say those who are trying to excuse themselves, claiming they just wanted to heat up the stove quickly to heat water. Many of them repudiate until the end, claiming that they burn coal only. But it is easy to prove what fuel is used during inspection - for example rubbish" says Ewa Drzazga, the deputy head of the Environment Protection of Wrocław Municipal Guards.
According to officers, what the residents of Wrocław most often throw inside their furnaces is old furniture and window frames. Also toys, plastic yoghurt cups, rubbish or even basketballs go up in smoke. A real nightmare are car workshops, where mechanics burn their old rags soaked up with lubricants. Old plastic parts also end up in flames.
Furniture and window frames are made of lacquered plywood, which emits harmful substances when burned. These then settle in chimney ducts and continue to get out to the atmosphere, even if we burn coal" adds Ewa Drzazga.
Appeal and even fines are of not much help. During the heating season the Municipal Guards still receive 3 intervention calls a day that are related to burning rubbish in furnaces. It is worth mentioning that polluting the environment is liable to a 500 PLN fine. If the incident is repetitive, or the size of damage is significant, the case may be taken to court, with more severe consequences.
Burning rubbish is very harmful for the environment
"Compounds that originate during such low-temperature burning in furnaces belong to the so called persistent organic pollutants (POP) group. These substances are very toxic and harmful for human health due to their ability to accumulate in our organisms. The group of emitted POP's includes, among others, dioxins and furans, which belong to the most poisonous of substances" warns Irmina Ćwieląg-Piasecka, PhD, from the Soil Sciences and Environmental Protection Institute of Wrocław University of Life Sciences. "When emitted to the atmosphere, these compounds reach the soil with rain, and then pollute it. They sometimes can accumulate there for years and be released slowly to ground waters" she adds.
House chimneys are erected at max. 40 m height. When burning rubbish, we jeopardize not only ourselves, but also our neighbours with direct inhaling of poisonous smoke. Therefore, it's better to dispose old furniture, windows or toys free of charge than to expose those close to you to dangerous diseases.
