Wood-Burning Fireplaces & Air Pollution

Wood-burning fireplaces are becoming more and more popular all over the place in the world. Well, who wouldn’t like to do such thing so? Unexplainably, it is somewhat romantic and soothing about sitting in front of a fireplace, hearing the fizz of the timber, and gazing at the flickering flames. Along with the soaring fossil fuel prices, a lot of people believe that it's less expensive to burn up wood for heat especially during winter time. However, many researches showed that Central Heating is in general the most resourceful and most inexpensive method to heat up. There are many people believe as well that burning wood is better for the environment seeing as wood is a renewable resource; on the other hand, as said by the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency, wood burning is not good for the environment. In fact, wood results in high levels of air pollution that can deteriorate the environment and your health as well.

According to Dr. Wayne Ott of Stanford University, the largest single source of outdoor fine particles entering into our homes in many American cities is our neighbor's fireplace or wood stove. As being said, we can also harm our neighborhood’s welfare.

Chemicals Composed with Wood Smoke

The smoke of wood contains many of the same chemicals as cigarette smoke, as well as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, perilous metals, and known carcinogens such as formaldehyde, dioxin, benzene, and toluene and these chemicals possibly can be fatal. Breathing in wood smoke looks as if to be even more hazardous than breathing in cigarette smoke. An EPA study reckoned that breathing wood smoke particles at some point in high pollution days is the same to smoking 4 to 16 cigarette sticks. Today, medical studies have associated air pollution with lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, congenital heart defects, asthma, and even brain damage. Asthma victims, diabetics, congenital heart failure patients, and children are the common people most in danger for damage from air pollution.

Dr. Ramierez-Venegas of the UK gives explanation about biomass or simply wood smoke. This is composed of a quite equal combination of coarse and ultra-fine particles and can go through deeply into the lung that produces a variety of morphologic and biochemical changes. Joel Schwartz of EPA points out as well that Mammalian lungs don’t have defenses against small particles. "Particulate pollution is the most important contaminant in our air... We know that when particle levels go up, people die”, he added.

Steps to Avoiding Wood Burning

It is best of course to avoid burning wood for the benefit of your family, your neighbors, and the environment naturally, but if in the event you have to; you can take some steps to restrict your exposure to the air pollution. First thing to do is make sure your fireplace is working as it should be with an adequate draft. Second is tightly sealed doors in front of the fireplace block out much pollution. Third is don't burn scrap or treated wood, and make sure your wood has been splintered and dried out for at least six months. Fourth is, use small pieces of wood. Small, hot fires exude less pollution than fiery fires.

There are many air purifiers that are specifically designed to deal with the air pollution from smoke. For instance, Blueair air purifiers are available with SmokeStop Filters. The AllerAir 5000 DS air purifier is designed to absorb smoke, tar, fine dust and other particulates carried by the wind. What’s more is the IQAir Multigas air purifier takes away a wide spectrum of gases and particulates, as well as smoke. If you want to divest yourself of the odor from smoke, try the smoke odor eliminator.

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