New data shows damning links between wood burners and toxic air

New data from a community-led study targeting toxic smoke from wood burners shows new evidence about their dangers.

Ten volunteers based in a Bristol neighbourhood where log burners are common have recorded multiple breaches of daily guidelines for air pollution over a six month period.

Data shows 11 exceedances of World Health Organization (WHO) daily guidelines for ultra-fine particulate pollution between November and March.

Sensors were placed in or near the Ashely ward, including Montpelier, St Werburgh’s and St Paul’s – where many Victorian and Georgian houses have been renovated and had solid fuel-burning appliances installed.

The sensors, indicating levels of PM10 and PM2.5 pollution, are operated for the Slow the Smoke project in and around the Ashley ward – photo: Betty Woolerton

The participants, called ‘citizen scientists’, were given the monitoring technology to gauge pollution partly caused by domestic combustion.

Burning wood or coal pollutes the air inside and outside homes, creating tiny particulates called PM2.5 and PM10 which can cause heart and lung problems.

The 10 sensors in the study show an average of 10 PM10 and 12 PM2.5.

Under the Clean Air Act of 1993, all of Bristol is covered by a smoke control order, meaning it is illegal to emit smoke from a chimney unless burning an authorised fuel or using an exempt appliance.

Data shows 11 breaches of WHO daily guidelines for PM2.5 between November and March – image: Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council hopes the project will raise awareness of the impact of wood smoke.

Steve Crawshaw, who manages the project, said domestic wood burning was a serious problem. While the number of days exceeding WHO pollution guidelines in the ward echoed the city average, he explained it is still a source of concern.

Crawshaw said: “The evidence is that virtually any level of PM 2.5 is harmful – there is no threshold below which you don’t see health effects.”

There are around 300 deaths a year in Bristol due to poor air quality.

Tim Wye, a green councillor for Ashley, spoke of how rising energy costs are driving some struggling families to use open fires again.

“Ashley is a split ward with a lot of people living on incredibly low incomes,” said Wye.

“For some, especially now, burning solid fuels is sometimes the only option to stay warm – but what I hope the study shows is that those who can afford it should really think twice about using solid fuels in an urban environment.”

“Current research suggests the air pollution impact of wood burning is really significant, and as with the air pollution emitted by vehicles, there is no ‘safe level’ for humans.”

Wye told Bristol24/7 Ashley is a “split ward” – photo by Betty Woolerton

A council spokesperson said: “Whilst focus on this topic is naturally drawn to areas of transport and infrastructure, we continue to look beyond the delivery of a clean air zone and multi million pound cycling and walking investments to other areas where air quality is impacted.

“This pilot programme seeks to better understand one of those areas and gather the data necessary to inform future national and local policy decisions that balance air quality and the cost of living.

“We’re looking to inform this national debate and have joined with other cities to write to the government to prioritise air pollution in national spending plans.”

The council said the study will report at the end of 2022.

Main photo: Betty Woolerton

Read more: Implementation of Bristol’s clean air zone could be delayed again

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