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Original poster

HIGHLIGHTING DANGER OF WOODBURNERS

628 replies

GlassHouseBlue · 20/11/2024 22:34

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) -
essentially tiny particles of soot - is one
of the most dangerous air pollutants.
Breathing it in is linked to lung cancer,
heart damage, strokes, impaired cognition
and mental health problems, and can
exacerbate conditions such as asthma,
COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. Children
and elderly people are most vulnerable

OP posts:
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31
Original poster
GlassHouseBlue · 21/11/2024 06:45

PopcornPoppingInAPan · 20/11/2024 23:45

Thank you OP for your post. It’s amazing how dismissive people are of evidence that they don’t like. Amazing how many people know better than the experts! (“Oh oh but they’re not experts because look, this stove company says they’re wrong!!”).

”Well I read that BISCUITS give you CANCER so I’m going to keep burning wood and poisoning but just my family but all my neighbours too, because it looks so pretty, so there!

We had a wood burner installed about 10 years ago, I am so cross with myself I just had no idea of the danger. Our poor son suffered asthma and other breathing difficulties as a toddler.

When I learned how horrifically polluting it was we never used it again. And do you know, my son’s asthma all but disappeared.

We sold the house last year and the people who bought it have just replaced it with a bioethanol burner instead. I know others who’ve stopped using wood burners on our road.

I should say, I do understand that for some people a wood burner may be the only affordable or practical option for heating. But it’s staggering that some of them are arguing “well I need it there for it can’t possibly be polluting and all that nasty sciencey evidence is just plain wrong because I say it is!

🙄

Thank you! I'm so glad your son's asthma has improved.

OP posts:
CandlesandClemantines · 21/11/2024 06:45

Well we don't have one but but we are straddled by neighbours who do

BearOnABlanket · 21/11/2024 06:45

Cancer research UK says that only 8% of lung cancers are cause by outside air pollution. And that's going to be including all the city dwellers constantly surrounded by cars, so wood burners are a tiny proportion there

Given all the risk factors around me for various cancers, I think I'll stick with my fires (I'd love a woodburner instead, much more efficient, but that will have to wait), and my oil-fired central heating - not that I have much choice in the matter given where I live.

AlertCat · 21/11/2024 06:44

Plenty of people have no alternative to a solid-fuel stove. In my area there are lots of people living on boats, it’s possible but very expensive to install a diesel heater (and surely not better?) and most of the people are living on boats because they can’t afford to live in a house. What would you say to them?

Mickeymix · 21/11/2024 06:43

A wood fire produces so little pollution most of these particles collect in the chimney and any remaining particles are dispersed into the air.
These conspiracy freaks with their scaremongering are just spouting off for attention.

Original poster
GlassHouseBlue · 21/11/2024 06:43

GreenTeaLikesMe · 20/11/2024 23:33

You do know that at one time every house was heated by coal or wood fires, and that didn't lead to massive amounts of lung cancer cases.

Exposure to indoor air pollution is one of the biggest killers of women in developing countries today and killed huge numbers of women in the past. It would have killed even more were it not for the fact that so many women died at earlier ages of other things like infectious disease, childbirth and the like.

Using a modern certified woodburner and doing everything right (only using really dry wood etc) is better than old style fires, but still a significant health risk. Even if you do all these things and do everything possible to mitigate the risk, you are still breathing in far more particulates than the recommended safe max. limits.

It's actually the greatly increased risk of things like Alzheimers and Parkinsons that freaks me out the most.

Thanks for sharing this information.

OP posts:
Original poster
GlassHouseBlue · 21/11/2024 06:41

CantHaveTooMuchChocolate · 20/11/2024 23:31

@GlassHouseBlue You’re 100% correct. 3x the particulate pollution of all vehicles on the road, it’s absolutely shocking really.

There’s now plenty of scientific evidence unfiltered particulate pollution caused by these burners are highly toxic and detrimental to our health. I see lots of head in sand on this thread op, but you’ll be proven correct in the years to come.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/16/home-wood-burning-biggest-cause-particle-pollution-fires

Thank you - I can see there are heads in the sand over it. I'm only highlighting the danger but if people don't want to accept it then that's up to them.

OP posts:
DieStrassensindimmernass · 21/11/2024 06:41

Hunglikeapolevaulter · 20/11/2024 22:47

Luckily if the wood burner is set up and used properly, there is little to no smoke smell indoors.
Plus look how lovely and cosy.

Meanwhile outdoors?

DieStrassensindimmernass · 21/11/2024 06:40

I live in an area where folk still burn coal and woodburners are also popular. I hate both with a passion. They stink and are so unhealthy.
We're all electric (no mains gas here) but have just upgraded to more efficient heating and boiler, and have all the official insulation we can. Just need to get my draft excluders sorted now.

rewilded · 21/11/2024 06:40

I agree OP. Walking along the streets at night in my town is Dickensian.

They should be banned in urban areas.

DieStrassensindimmernass · 21/11/2024 06:38

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 20/11/2024 22:47

Tell it to the government then. Maybe they can give me a grant to improve insulation on my home.

I can't stand shouty demands.
I have a pile of wood and I will be burning it as does every other house here during the winter.

Have you actually looked into grants?

ForGreyKoala · 21/11/2024 06:38

Whatamitodonow · 20/11/2024 23:58

Rural areas not so bad.

urban areas the smoke does affect neigbours more than you think.

Show quote history

Did you miss where I live in NZ? We aren't all living cheek by jowl as in the UK. I have two asthmatics in my family, neither of them was affected by the (comparatively few) woodburners in our town.

augustinmeaulnes · 21/11/2024 06:36

Black plastic in kitchen utensils is something else to worry about, and food packaging obviously

Floorcoverings, household furnishings, paint and varnish, sitting in a new car all the off gassing ditto the posh hotel with all the sumptuous materials and perfumes, cleaning materials etc An obsession with cleanliness can in itself be a source of damage.

Life as a consumer is educating yourself, weighing information up and checking a range of sources, mitigating and judging risk. Every individual and organisation has their own decisions (agenda) about which they take, which campaigns they adopt. There are vanishingly few unbiased sources, research has to be paid for and it often by a vested interest aka sponsorship. There is almost no independent journalism either which doesn't make the job easier.

Itiswhatitis80 · 21/11/2024 06:35

I grew up with just open coal fires,I now have a multi fuel stove,I’m more worried about the sheer volume of cars on the road!

PoupeeGonflable · 21/11/2024 06:34

GlassHouseBlue · 20/11/2024 23:20

No against my religion.

Show quote history

Oh yes, religion. That great determiner of diet and how one is treated in life.
I suspect more women have been killed for 'religious' reasons than by a woodburner

PoupeeGonflable · 21/11/2024 06:30

FOJN · 20/11/2024 23:10

I HOPE YOU DON'T EAT BACON OP, THE WHO HAVE CLASSIFIED IT AS A GROUP 1 CARCINOGEN - KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER.

Is all CAPS a thing now for highlighting DANGER!

Uppercase words are deemed 'shouting' in publishing. Bolding also unnecessary!

Gunnersforthecup · 21/11/2024 06:30

I would LOVE to have a woodburner or an open fire, but I have a serious lung condition and DC has asthma, so we have regretfully made do with the radiators.

PoupeeGonflable · 21/11/2024 06:27

GlassHouseBlue · 20/11/2024 23:01

Did you know that domestic wood burning in the UK produces more particulate matter than traffic?
And did you know that an Ecodesign wood burning stove is several hundred times more polluting than a gas boiler?
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty’s 2022 air pollution reportt_ acknowledged the high amounts of air pollution domestic burning produces in the UK, and called for more action on air pollution both indoors and out.

www.mumsforlungs.org/news/updated-wood-burning-flyer

Stop SHOUTING at us and trying to emphasise the unverified hysterical 'facts' byusing bold

PoupeeGonflable · 21/11/2024 06:25

GlassHouseBlue · 20/11/2024 22:51

You do that and increase your chance of lung cancer by 70%

Show quote history

Yes, all thse cavemen and thei wood-fire induced lung cancer
And all those idiots who stubbornly heated their houses with logs and coal before central heating...

RedRiverShore5 · 21/11/2024 06:24

They have their place in rural areas but not really for towns and cities

PeriPeriMam · 21/11/2024 06:24

I have a wood burner but we ONLY burn old tyres, household rubbish, and poop.

ChocolateTelephone · 21/11/2024 06:24

What about an open wood fire, is the risk the same?

In my house it’s a choice between the oil-fired central hearing or the open fireplaces. I prefer to keep the heating lower and have the fires lit but truthfully I don’t know what impact that’s having on the air in our home.

PoupeeGonflable · 21/11/2024 06:22

GlassHouseBlue · 20/11/2024 22:50

Indoors perhaps but what about outdoors and the affect on the local community.

Why isn't this a balanced view. I imagine the people who burn wood also idle their cars. Air pollution is real and WOODBURNERS add to that danger

I'll shout it from the rooftops if I have to!

I will pay good money to see that.
Then go home to warm myself next to my WOODBURNER (I understand that this word has to be written in uppercase..)

ChristmasCarnage · 21/11/2024 06:22

nobody is going to give money toy your weird charity, OP.