If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you are not alone. These practices are widespread, especially the burning of garbage in rural areas. In fact, it is practically tradition to have a burn barrel if you live in the country and has been for many decades.

Unfortunately, burning like this produces a variety of harmful compounds. Most notably are dioxins. Being persistent, highly toxic and bioaccumulative, dioxins are very serious endocrine disrupting chemicals causing a host of health problems including cancer. These chemicals settle in water, soils and on vegetation ultimately getting into our systems and those of unborn childern via the placenta. Dioxins are also passed on to children through the mothers breast milk.

According to the World Health Organization: "Once dioxins have entered the environment or body, they are there to stay due to their uncanny ability to dissolve in fats and to their rock-solid chemical stability."

Not only is it dangerous to burn garbage, it produces foul odors and is illegal in most areas. Inform those you know to partake in this or call your regional DEQ office.

Additional information can be found here:
http://www.epa.gov/msw/backyard/

For a more detailed look at dioxins, visit the following sites:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/
http://www.ejnet.org/dioxin/

For a look at how far dioxins can travel and how they move up the food chain, click here.