"David Hill" wrote in news:c7km43
:

"..........
Wouldn't want to inhale the exhaust. I've also heard you shouldn't burn
gift wrapping paper. ..........."

Then you don't stand down wind of the fire.
I should think you breath in more noxious fumes every day from cars than
you will from burning store receipts and gift wrapping paper.


I read a Car Talk column (Ray and Tom Magliozzi) about diesel engines
recently. It said that Europeans weren't quite as concerned with air
pollution as Americans. I usually don't pay attention to generalizations,
but due to your comment, I wonder if it is true.

Anyway, gasoline is formulated for combustion. Store receipts and gift
wrapping paper aren't. Now if you were talking about American diesel
vehicles (which very few people drive, pretty much burn sludge and
apparently don't have the pollution controls of modern European diesel
cars), I'd agree with your pollution accessment. But I seriously doubt a
gallon of diesel has near as much heavy metal as a newspaper sized sheet of
gift wrapping paper. I don't know whether gasoline or diesel is a closer
analog of 'petrol' or if 'petrol' is different enough to be neither.
(Assuming petrol is what you call engine fuel ... I'm not so good with the
Queen's English).

As for standing around trying to avoid the combustion cloud and stay upwind
(if there is wind) yourself, letting the toxins precipitate wherever they
end up, you could always just not burn it, end of problem. Knowing that
thermal paper has been treated, but not with what I'd just as soon choose
not to burn (or compost) it.

Random link about gift wrapping hazards:
http://access.wa.gov/news/2003/Dec/n20031111_6518.aspx

Excerpt:
Washington State Department of Ecology, December 11, 2003

"All paper creates toxins when burned, but the colored or glossy papers
used to wrap presents have even more poison in its smoke. The inks and
coatings are commonly made of plastics, toxic metals such as copper, lead
and chrome, and other hazardous materials. When burned, these materials
become tiny particles that lodge deep in the lungs. Poisons in the paper
can damage nervous systems, kidneys and other organs, and could even
result in cancer over time."

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Happy M-day to all M's.