Wood Smoke – What Is It?
Wood smoke is a complex mixture of gases and particles. The gases and particles are
air pollutants. The main air pollutants in wood smoke include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, air toxics and particulate
matter.
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Josephine's Story
Josephine moved to another country and became sick with MCS because her new environment was heavily polluted
by wood-smoke and fragrances.
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Armidale Air Quality Group
We are concerned with the increasing air pollution from domestic wood heaters in residential
areas, not only in Armidale, NSW. These pages contain information on the health risks from wood smoke,suggestions
for tackling the problem, alternative heating methods, how to make your home more energy efficient, as well as the
latest air quality measurements for Armidale.
Published Studies on the Health Effects of Wood-Smoke
Exposure to wood-smoke can have serious consequences for health. In developing countries, some stoves may emit smoke
to indoor air. Several studies have shown that exposure to wood-smoke reduces lung function, especially in children,
and increases coughs and other respiratory diseases.
Many recent studies have also found significant effects in woodstove users in developed countries such as the US.
Children living in such homes tend to have increased respiratory symptoms, acute lower respiratory infection,
increased frequency and severity of wheeze, increased frequency of cough.
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Burning Issues - A project of clean air revival
What are the medical effects of exposure to smoke particles?
Chemical Composition of Wood Smoke
Burning Issues Wood Smoke Fact Sheets
Project Statement:
Smoke from residential burning of wood, wood burning restaurants and outdoor burning of wood, crops
and debris is permeating our neighborhoods. This burning results in high ground level concentrations
of toxic air pollution. Millions of people are becoming ill from these emissions and some are dying.
Awareness and education are the key elements to the abatement of this source of deadly fine particulate
pollution in our communities.
Please take the time to read these informative fact sheets.
Morbidity and Mortality from Air Pollution
Air pollution increases death risk in people with certain diseases.
Chemical Constituents of Wood Smoke
Chemicals listed here are only the tip of the iceberg - combustion variables lead to hundreds if not
thousands of chemical combinations. Some are sweet smelling vanilla and others are known to be the
most toxic chemicals on earth. Wood also carries mold spores, some are able to be cultured from wood
ashe.
Wood Smoke Tables and Charts
Emissions Information Tables and more . . .
Wood Smoke Comparisons of Emissions from Smoke
Particle Sources
Chart: Comparing Particle Emissions from Traffic, Cigarettes and Heating
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CABRA
Neighbours smoke getting up your nose?
Raising Community Awareness about the Health Effects of Burning Wood in Residential Areas
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Disability OnLine
Wood Fires and Breathing Problems
Information for people with a disability, their families and carers.
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Environmental Health Sciences
Critical Review of the Health Effects of Wood-Smoke
The sentiment that wood-smoke, being a natural and ancient substance, must be benign to humans is still sometimes
heard. It is now well established, however, that wood-burning stoves and fireplaces as well as wildland and
agricultural fires emit significant quantities of known health-damaging ollutants, including carcinogenic and
other toxic organic compounds such as polyaromatic compounds, benzene, and aldehydes; respirable particulate
matter with diameters allowing it to penetrate into the deep lung; carbon monoxide (CO); nitrogen oxides (NOx),
and free radicals, among many other pollutants.
Wood-Smoke - Health Effects - A Review
Two of the principal gaseous pollutants in wood-smoke, CO and NOx, add to the atmospheric levels of these
regulated gases emitted by other combustion sources. Health impacts of exposures to these gases and some of
the other wood-smoke constituents (e.g., benzene) are well characterized in thousands of publications.
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Melissa Kaplan's Chronic Neuro Immune Diseases
Wood Burners Could Be Banned
Proposed crackdown on fireplaces, stoves among toughest in Bay Area
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The Australian Lung Foundation
Wood Smoke and your Health: The Burning Issues
Wood-burning heaters are often admired for the ambience they add. However, smoke from wood heaters can be
a major source of air pollution in many parts of Australia, and is a real and significant health hazard.
Health Impacts of Wood Smoke
Wood smoke contains fine particles which are breathed into the lungs. They irritate the bronchial tubes and
affect those with pre-existing lung disease, especially asthma, chronic bronchitis & emphysema.
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The Importance of Clean Air
Clean Air Revival provides public education about the medical hazards of exposure to wood smoke and other fine particulate pollution. Smoke from residential burning of wood and coal, wood burning restaurants and outdoor burning of wood, leaves, crops, tires and debris is permeating our neighborhoods, resulting in high ground level concentrations of toxic air pollution.
Click here for more.......
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