A team of researchers has come to the conclusion that...Fireplaces in the interiortriple air pollution from fine particles. The tiny particles fly around the room when you open the oven door to add wood. Furthermore, people who reheat twice or several times in the evening are exposed to values that are two to four times higher than those who reheat once or not at all. These particles penetrate the lungs and the body and could cause a variety of health problems, especially in young and older people.
Are fireplaces unhealthy? Researchers from Great Britain provide the answer
The study was carried out in 19 homes across the UK over the course of a month in early 2020. All stoves were models approved by the government as “smoke-free.” However, this approval only assesses outdoor pollution. The government had banned the sale of wet wood, which produces more smoke, and participants only used dry, seasoned wood. Burning wood and coal in homes causes 40% of outdoor air pollution from fine particles.
“Our results are a cause for concern,” said the head of the research team. People who are sensitive to air pollution, especially children, the elderly and those at risk, should avoid using wood stoves. If you still use them, you should shorten the time during which the stove is left open for lighting or reheating.
Stoves or open fireplaces?
The fireplaces pollute the air indoors less than the open fireplaces. But every time you open the stove, you turn it into an open fireplace and it emits fine smoke particles into the room. It takes 1 or 2 hours for them to be drained. And until they are gone, someone opens the oven door again and one emission after another follows. Some stoves have filters, but they can only reduce air pollution by exhausting the smoke outside.
People who do not have central heating can decide for themselves whether they want to use a wood stove. But you should at least know what happens. Epidemiologists warn that exposure to fine particles is linked to a number of diseases. That's why fireplaces should be sold with a health warning.
