Sidhu, KS; Keeslar, FL; Warner, PO
A tire fire at a retreading location in Blair Township near Interlochen, Michigan was reported at 9:30 a.m. on December 29, 1995. The company had stored over 700,000 petroleum based tires at this location. It took 22 days for 15 fire departments to quell the fire. Inside the tire piles, the temperature reached up to 2400°F. Tire fire smoke usually includes inorganic and organic particulates, ash, arsenic, benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, oxides of nitrogen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenol, sulfur dioxide, zinc, etc. Most of the above mentioned environmental contaminants in low concentrations were found at or near the tire fire location in outdoor air, groundwater, snow and soil. No contaminants were detected in indoor environments (residential areas) about one mile away from the tire fire location. Cancer risk assessments were conducted for carcinogens using U.S. EPA guidelines and assumptions. These cancer risk estimates were very low as compared to the acceptable excess risk level of 1×10-6. Reported concentrations and potential health risks of the released contaminants are briefly discussed. The tire fire smoke is an irritant to eyes, nose, and the respiratory tract, therefore, exposure to this source of air pollution should be regulated and minimized.