Scientists' findings on soil samples from the Scottish Highlands show that burning natural fuel peat can lead to dioxin pollution.
Dioxin is a chlorine-containing compound that has a carcinogenic effect on the human body, can exist in the soil for a long time, and can accumulate in the food chain.
Modern industry is the main cause of dioxin pollution, including waste incinerators and chlorine chemical manufacturers. However, scientists at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, found that Scotland had a considerable amount of dioxins in its soil decades before the large number of modern factories in the 1950s.
Scientists believe that this is the result of widespread use of peat as a fuel for Scottish residents. During combustion, part of the chlorine contained in peat is released as dioxins.
On a small island on the west coast of Scotland, the scientists collected peat ash from the middle and late 19th century in abandoned settlements and found that the content of dioxin was quite considerable, which was equivalent to the amount of peat produced in the laboratory.
Peat is mainly formed by the decomposition and synthesis of plant remains. In Scotland, where there are few forests, peat has been the main fuel for many centuries. Scientists estimate that before the Industrial Age, each family in the Highlands of Scotland consumed 20 tons of peat annually. A total of 1 kilogram of dioxins is produced annually in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. At present, the UK releases about 11 kilograms of dioxins throughout the year.
Dioxin is a chlorine-containing compound that has a carcinogenic effect on the human body, can exist in the soil for a long time, and can accumulate in the food chain.
Modern industry is the main cause of dioxin pollution, including waste incinerators and chlorine chemical manufacturers. However, scientists at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, found that Scotland had a considerable amount of dioxins in its soil decades before the large number of modern factories in the 1950s.
Scientists believe that this is the result of widespread use of peat as a fuel for Scottish residents. During combustion, part of the chlorine contained in peat is released as dioxins.
On a small island on the west coast of Scotland, the scientists collected peat ash from the middle and late 19th century in abandoned settlements and found that the content of dioxin was quite considerable, which was equivalent to the amount of peat produced in the laboratory.
Peat is mainly formed by the decomposition and synthesis of plant remains. In Scotland, where there are few forests, peat has been the main fuel for many centuries. Scientists estimate that before the Industrial Age, each family in the Highlands of Scotland consumed 20 tons of peat annually. A total of 1 kilogram of dioxins is produced annually in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. At present, the UK releases about 11 kilograms of dioxins throughout the year.
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