A new research shows that wood burning stoves in urban areas are responsible for almost half of people's exposure to cancer-causing chemicals in air pollution particles.
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tiny pollution particles are produced by burning fuels and have been known to have cancer-causing effects. Wood burning produced more PAHs than diesel or petrol, according to a new study.
The analysis was done in Athens, Greece, but the researchers were clear that it was not an unusual case. They said that wood burning in homes was a major issue for air quality in Europe and that exposure to wood smoke could cause serious health effects.
The team behind the new study said thatAthens is more representative of a rule. On the other hand, it is: 'Oh, my goodness, this is terrible.' On the other hand, it shows that people can do something to reduce the risk without too much effort. You stop burning wood. That is the bottom line.
Wood burning in homes is the single biggest source of small particle air pollution in the UK, producing three times more than road traffic, despite just 8% of the population using wood burners.
The new wood burning stoves that meet the ecodesign standard emit more pollution than a modern truck. Scientists say that wood burners triple the level of harmful pollution inside homes and should be sold with a health warning.
You stop burning wood. That is the bottom line.
Athanasios Nenes.
Background samples of the air in Athens were taken every day for a year. 31 PAHs and a wide range of other chemical markers were analysed.
The proportion of PAHs produced by each source is calculated using specific compounds associated with different sources of pollution. Wood burning, diesel and oil, and petrol are the main sources of PAHs.
The proportion of cancer risk to people due to wood burning rose to 42% when taken into account, with diesel and oil at 36% and petrol at 17%.
The results clearly show that wood burning is a principal driver of long-term cancer risk.
The researchers said that the level of PAH pollution in Athens was the same as in other European and North American cities.
The average annual concentration of the PAHs in the Athens study was double the World Health Organization reference level. The researchers said that the PAHs in Athens would cause 5 extra cancer cases for every 100,000 people.
European action and policies aimed at the regulation of [wood] burning emissions are immediately required, as they can, given the carcinogen exposure and extended usage of [wood] burning throughout Europe, eg France, Germany, Ireland and the UK.
PAHs were not the only carcinogen in wood smoke, and there were many other compounds that damaged health. Wood smoke is particularly potent and causes all kinds of ailments from cancer to oxidative stress, which leads to heart attacks and strokes, Obesity, premature ageing, Diabetes, and anything that has to do with inflammation in the body. I am really worried about wood burning.
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Air pollution may be damaging every organ in the body.
Air pollution may be damaging every organ and cell in the body.
Gary Fuller, who was not part of the research team, said that people tend to think burning wood is harmless. Wood burning is not pollution-free. Home wood burning has led to an increase in emissions of the main PAH, benzo(a)pyrene.
The move to electric cars would reduce PAH exposure from traffic, according to Prof Alison Tomlin. Unless suitable methods are developed to reduce PAH emissions from domestic wood burners and boilers, they will continue to pose a significant health risk.
The wood smoke did not diffuse because of the low wind and rain in Athens. The use of no-burn days could be a useful short-term measure. She said that it could be difficult to enforce a policy on wood burning in densely populated areas.
In order to clean up the city's air, the council in the Netherlands announced subsidies of up to 2,000 for people to replace their wood burning stove and fireplaces.
Wood smoke at night oxidizes into more harmful compounds much faster than had been expected. The pollution becomes more dangerous to health when it is still concentrated near the source, rather than being dispersed over a few days.
