This latest study from the University of Surrey has shown that no matter the type of fuel that’s burnt and no matter what type of appliance is used to burn in, the pollution and harm to health is still substantial. The scientists who carried out this study monitored the air quality inside homes with improved wood-burning stoves and open fireplaces to reveal the reality of exposure to indoor concentration.
They found that open fireplaces resulted in the highest Ultra Fine Particles exposure, followed by multifuel eco-design stoves.
Whilst claims have been made that newer stove designs produce less PM2.5 than older designs, they actually produce far more Ultra Fine Particles. Both types of particles will cause a deterioration in your health.
Wood Briquettes are worse
Wood briquettes produced the highest amount of Ultra Fine Particles followed by smokeless coal, kiln-dried wood, and seasoned wood during the burning period. These results indicate that manufactured fuels (wood briquette and smokeless fuel) released higher UFP concentrations than kiln-dried and seasoned wood. Additionally, PM2.5 exposure was 3.7 to 4.1 times higher when burning wood briquettes compared to kiln-dried or seasoned wood, challenging claims that manufactured fuels are cleaner alternatives.
Ultra Fine Particles
UFPs, compared to PM2.5 and PM10, have drawn significant attention in recent years because of their larger surface area, distinct chemical composition, higher alveolar deposition fraction, and propensity to translocate into the human circulatory system. Additionally, they can cause inflammation and penetrate through cell membranes and accumulate in secondary organs including brain tissue.
Short and long-term exposure to pollution from wood-burning sources has been linked to numerous illnesses and long term health problems such as chronic respiratory diseases, heart disease, pulmonary function deficits, lung cancer, heart disease, developmental abnormalities, and harm to the lungs, kidneys, liver, nervous system, and brain.