Dr Isabel Hess, Senior Policy Analyst, Environmental Health Branch, Health Protection NSWPeta Pippos, Senior Policy Analyst, Environmental Health Branch, Health Protection NSW
Many people have the idyllic and romantic vision of sitting by a warm glowing wood fire on a cold winter’s night. Further, burning of wood for heating and cooking is the oldest source of energy and has been used by humans for at least 300,000 to 400,000 years.[1, 2] Using a wood fired heater for heating is also often portrayed as a natural and economic way to heat your home.[3]
However, when you wake up in the morning after a cold still winter’s night and you see a brown haze lying like a blanket over your neighbourhood, you might be surprised to learn that this air pollution is mostly due to particle emissions from wood-burning heaters.[4]
Smoke from wood-burning heaters consists of a complex mixture of harmful gases and small particles. The main air pollutants in wood smoke are particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and a range of other organic compounds like formaldehyde, benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.[5] Some of these air pollutants (PM, formaldehyde, benzene) have been classified as carcinogenic to humans. [6,7]
Wood smoke significantly contributes to PM air pollution outside (Figure 1) and also worsens indoor air quality.[5] PM is a term used to describe very small airborne solid or liquid particles.
The fine particles or PM from wood smoke can penetrate deep into your lungs and affect your health.
There is good scientific evidence that long-term exposure to PM decreases lung function and increases the risk of developing heart and lung diseases like angina and chronic bronchitis (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).[8,9] Short-term exposure (over hours or days) to high levels of wood smoke or PM can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, aggravate asthma or worsen heart disease.[5,8,10]
Wood smoke can affect anyone. However, some people are more likely to be affected including children, people with pre-existing heart or lung conditions and the elderly. If you can smell wood smoke you are being exposed and may be at risk of adverse health effects.
In winter, wood smoke can be a significant contributor to air pollution in Sydney as well as in some regional centres in NSW. In July wood heater emissions make up 75% of all PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less) particle pollution in Sydney (Figure 1).
Source: NSW Environment Protection Authority, 2008 Air Emissions Inventory [11]
The best option is not to use a wood burning heater and use alternate ways to heat your home if you can. If wood heating is all you have available for heating your home, there are some ways to reduce the level of particle pollution emitted.
The following steps will make your wood heater safer for you and your neighbours:
For more tips on how to best use your wood heater, please visit NSW Environment Protection Authority - What you can do about wood smoke pollution.
Wood burning domestic heaters and wood smoke are subject to regulation under the Protection of the Environment Operations (POEO) Act 1997. NSW Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible together with local councils to implement these regulations. Some councils prohibit the installation of wood fired heaters in new homes. Health Protection NSW works closely with EPA to support the development and implementation of air pollution reduction measures including minimising wood smoke emissions that will benefit health. For more information on wood smoke control and reduction measures, please visit the NSW Environment Protection Agency.
Wood smoke contains a mixture of harmful gases and small particles. Exposure to wood smoke can lead to a variety of short-term and long-term adverse health effects. It is best not to use a wood fired heater if possible, but if there are no other options to heat your home, there are some simple steps to follow to reduce harmful emissions.
