Activists and health experts are asking people with alternative heating not to use their wood stoves this winter, amid growing concern about the impact on public health.
The Guardian recently reported that wood burners triple the level of harmful particles in the home, as well as creating dangerous levels of pollution in the neighborhood.
Now, experts from Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership are asking people with wood burners to use them only if they don’t have an alternative source of heat.
“We know that burning wood and coal releases fine particles (PM2.5) – the most worrying form of air pollution for human health,” said Sarah MacFadyen, policy director at the charity. “Therefore, it is important to consider less polluting fuel options for heating your home or cooking, especially if charcoal or wood is not your primary source of fuel.”
Wood burners have become increasingly popular in recent years and, along with coal fires, they are estimated to cause almost 40% of the pollution by tiny particles outside, in addition to creating toxic air inside the home. Nearly 16% of people in southeastern England use firewood, and 18% in Northern Ireland, according to 2016 government data, and about 175,000 wood burners are sold annually.
But a growing body of research reveals that air pollution may be damaging every organ in the body, with effects that include heart and lung disease, diabetes, dementia, reduced intelligence and increased depression. Children and unborn children suffer the most.
More than a third of UK local authorities have areas where the PM2.5 level exceeds the limits of the World Health Organization, and MacFadyen urged the government to use the next environmental bill to commit to bringing the entire country into in line with WHO limits by 2030.
She said: “We also need to see politicians doing more to raise awareness about the dangers of burning firewood and coal for health, as part of a national health campaign against toxic air so that people can make the best choices for your own health and also for the health of others around you. “
Dr. Nick Hopkinson, medical director of Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, said that indoor and outdoor pollution caused by wood stoves has caused serious health problems, from breathing problems to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer of the heart. lung.
“To protect yourself and others around you, especially children who are particularly vulnerable because your lungs are smaller and still developing, avoid buying a wood stove or using a fireplace if you have another source of fuel for cooking and heat your home. “