Experts Issue Caution Over Wood Burners, Warning of Potential Risks for UK Residents

Experts Issue Caution Over Wood Burners, Warning of Potential Risks for UK Residents

As winter approaches and energy costs continue to soar, a growing number of British households are relying on wood-burning stoves to keep their homes warm.

However, researchers at the University of Surrey have issued a cautionary note regarding the potential health risks associated with these stoves.

Their findings indicate that even the latest “eco-friendly” or “clean” models can release fine particles into indoor air at levels comparable to traffic pollution and, on occasion, cigarette smoke.

In a study conducted by the university’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), researchers monitored homes in Guildford that utilized various wood-burning stoves along with a selection of clean solid fuels.

These included seasoned and kiln-dried logs, wood briquettes, and smokeless coal.

They measured ultrafine particles, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon, and carbon monoxide levels within living rooms, discovering that all forms of wood burning led to “short bursts of very high pollution indoors.”