it was surprising to see How little teenagers are triggering climate change in Nigeria through burning of expired tyres for extracting some cables which they used to generate some little income without looking at the consequences of polluting the environment.
Burning tyres has a series of climatic and health challenges to both Human and his environment
The following are some of the reasons
1-Burning tires releases a toxic soup of pollutants. Children are especially at risk. Hundreds of different toxic pollutants are created by burning tires as well as a tremendous number of small particles that settle deep in the lungs.
2-Children, fetuses, nursing babies, elderly, asthmatics, immune suppressed individuals are all much more vulnerable to the pollutants released burning tires. Small particulates released by burning tires worsen asthma and may contribute to heart disease.
3-Current air pollution exposure standards are based on healthy adults and do not take infants, nursing mothers, and the elderly into consideration.
4-Tires are not designed to be burned as a fuel and contain hazardous ingredients (the rubber in tires contains 25% extender oils derived from benzene, 25% styrene, a derivative of benzene, and 25% 1,3 butadiene. – both benzene and 1,3 butadiene are suspected human carcinogens).
Tire-derived fuel (TDF) also contains remnants of wire that is difficult to totally remove when tires are processed for fuel.
5-Fine particulates are significantly more hazardous to human health than larger particulates. Toxins collected on the surface of fine particulates are aspirated by humans and lead to lung disease. The pollution control device on the IP power boiler is insufficient to remove fine particulate matter and heavy metals from flue gases.
6-Waste is a problem because it causes pollution, disease and environmental crisis when it’s not properly disposed. The good news is, most of the waste produced in Africa can be recycled and reused to create new products. Sadly, only about 10 percent of the waste generated every day in Africa is collected. The rest usually ends up in illegal dump sites, gutters and drainage in Africa’s cities
African climate reporters deem it fit to start enlightening the public on health implication of Burning tyres and how it contribute to climate change in Africa
The following are some of the suggestion to be used instead of burning the tyres , as it pollute the atmosphere
Tire recycling, also known as rubber recycling, refers to the process of recycling used vehicle tires that can no longer be used on the vehicles due to wear and tear or irreparable damage
Used tires are among the most problematic and challenging sources of solid waste . This is due to their large volume, their resilience, and the fact that they contain components that pose a threat to the environment and to the people around. They also become the home ground for mosquitoes and rodents which are responsible for carrying many diseases.
More research by African climate reporters reveals that ,It is estimated that over 250,000,000 tires are thrown away annually. Because of this high availability, resilience, bulk and non-biodegradability, tires are prime targets for recycling.
In a research conducted in some organization, it reveal the various process of Tire Recycling, so as to protect the environment against of attack
The tire life cycle can be identified by the following six steps:
- Product developments and innovations such as improved compounds and camber tire shaping increase tire life, increments of replacement, consumer safety, and reduce tire waste.
- Proper manufacturing and quality of delivery reduces waste at production.
- Direct distribution through retailers, reduces inventory time and ensures that the life span and the safety of the products are explained to customers.
- Consumers’ use and maintenance choices like tire rotation affect tire wear and safety of operation.
- Manufacturers and retailers set policies on return, retread , and replacement to reduce the waste generated from tires and assume responsibility for taking the ‘tire to its grave’ or to its reincarnation.
- Recycling tires by developing strategies that combust or process waste into new products, creates viable businesses, and fulfilling public policies
In every recycling process , collection is usually the first step. Here, tires are collected by individuals and some business individuals who have ventured into tire recycling business. People are paid for collecting tires and sending them to collection points. Once the tires reach the required number or volume, they are packed in huge tracks and sent to the processing plants for processing. Although it is considered a profitable venture, some people prefer reusing these used tires for other purposes at home. A good example is using the tires as rubber mulch, used in jungle gyms for strength, speed agility and resilience training.
In conclusion, The tire shreds obtained from step 1 are processed and prepared for the elimination and separation of the tire wire from the rubber. This important step includes fiber separation and course screening. Tires contain steel wires for resilience, strength and versatility. The steel wires are removed, recycled and sent to steel rolling mills for the manufacture of new steel. The remaining rubber can be sold as rubber mulch or can be used as playground or field turf or used as crumb rubber feed stock.
