# toxic fumes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toxic-fumes/173237>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 5, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toxic-fumes/173237 "2003-05-05T18:30:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sinatra69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@sinatra69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinatra69)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toxic-fumes/173237/1 "2003-05-05T18:30:00Z")

</div>

We used to place copper pipe stuffed with garden hose in campfires because of the pretty colors it would give off while burning.I have been told by several people lately that this releases toxic fumes and should not be done.Is this a fact or more bullshit that once heard gets repeated and exaggerated. sinatra69

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![El\_Smasho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@El\_Smasho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Smasho)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toxic-fumes/173237/2 "2003-05-05T18:38:57Z")

</div>

It’s true. You also get warnings about those “decorative fire logs” that have different salts added to make blue and green glow.

Even the copper vapor would scare me, but anything with long burned molecules tend to aggravate any lung condition, and burning plastics in fireplaces is banned in smog-control areas like the LA basin.