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The issue of what to do with discarded used tires has become a world-wide environmental problem. Only a fraction of them can be used for asphalt or road construction. They also pose a problem in landfills, since they tend to “rise.” If left in the open, they collect water and mosquitoes use them to breed. In addition, they are unsightly and take up space in storage yards and backyards.

Generally, tires contain the same level of heavy metals as coal, with the exceptions of chromium and  zinc. Chromium is present in steel belted tires and zinc is necessary for the rubber annealing process. Chlorine is also present in tires in higher concentrations than in other fuels.

When tires are added to another fuel source, the general trend is for the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions to increase because of incomplete combustion. More importantly, along with CO production, is the emission of  dioxins and furans, the most toxic carcinogens known, which are formed as a result of incomplete combustion in the presence of chlorine. The emissions of dioxins and furans have not been monitored adequately in many cases of tire burning.

The important point here is that a huge number of tires is taken out of the environment and burned for energy. The trade-off is increased atmospheric pollution that is often well above state and federal health standards.

There are a number of possible solutions to the problem of old tire usage with burning them, such as development of new technologies that incorporate tire chips and the creation of their microscopic fragments for home and building construction and water-proofing of clothing and other materials. Shredded and crumb rubber created from tires are currently being used for athletic field tracks and playgrounds, floor mats, belts, shoe soles, washers, and is used in the process of cement making. As regards the latter, about 53 million tires per year are consumed as fuel in US cement kilns.

Without a doubt, tires need to be part of any discussion about the environment and proper waste disposal of non-biodegradable substances.