The Millstone Times April 2022

HOME IMPROVEMENT Trending Wood Burning Stove Tops By Valeria Mancuso

Wood Burning Stoves Effect on Pollution Data has been collected from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to convey the affect wood burning stoves have on the pollution problem in the world. Even though the data shows a decrease in small particle pollution that comes from wood burners from 38% to 17%, they are still a major prob- lem. The revised data also shows that manufacturing and con- struct open represent the largest single contributor to tiny particle pollution, called PM2.5. Word-burning is responsible for 17% of PM2.5. According to Defra Particulates, which are found in wood burn- ers, are a group of pollutants that can enter the bloodstream, lodg- ing the heart, brain and other organs which can cause serious im- pact on health because they are such tiny particles. However, there as been a decrease in particulate air pollution between the years 1970 and late 2000’s because Britain has revoked using coal as a source of power. A Defra spokesperson explained, “We recognize that some households are reliant on solid fuels for heating, hot water, and cooking. The measures we have introduced will protect health by phasing out the sale of the most polluting fuels and by encourag- ing a transition to less polluting fuels.” Opinions of Experts Simon Birkett, founder and director of the campaign group Clean Air, said, “It is still an enormous percentage of the most powerful pollution. Whether it is 17 percent or 38 percent, it's still an ex- tremely serious problem. In policy terms, the key thing is that the number has gone up 35 percent in the past 10 years, and is still growing at 3 percent a year, so wood-burning stoves are clearly a problem.”

Last year showed that the deadliest form of pollution rose by 3% because of the increase in trendy wood burning stoves. Annual emissions from wood burn- ers have increased by 3% each year since 2003. Thus, making wood burning a larger contributor to particulate pollution than cars, which contributed to 12% of PM10 and 13% of PM2.5 while wood burners were contributing to 35%. Professor Alastair Lewis, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of York said, “Burning wood for home heating, particularly in cities, undoes many of the recent improvements seen in PM2.5 - hard won gains that have been achieved from our collective investments in cleaner cars, buses and lorries.” Professor William Collins, professor of climate processes, University of Reading, said, “Domestic wood burning is now the single largest contributor to fine particle pollution in the UK. These particles can increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. Strong pollution controls have been very successful in cleaning up particles from vehicle exhausts. Cutting down on pollution from wood burning would therefore make significant inroads into reducing the particles in the air we breathe.” Resources: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-10515799/Trendy-woodburning-stoves-drive-levels-dangerous-air-pollutants-3-year-UK.html

16 The Millstone Times

April 2022