BUILDING FIRES BRING LENS ON ‘FOREVER CHEMS’

Building fires are hitting national headlines every week — from one at a bed-and-breakfast in South Delhi to another at a hospital in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

- Bharati Chaturvedi

Beyond the tragedy of lost lives, what is missing is the question of toxicity — during and afterwards. Consider only flame retardants, found in everyday objects: upholstery, electronics and construction materials. When they catch fire, they increase the ‘thickness’ of the smoke and contribute to how it injures people. Later, the dioxins, furans and other forever chemicals linger on, in the air and dust, poisoning firemen, cleaners an