“Some of these compounds are related to cancers after prolonged exposures, as recognised by the International Agency for Cancer Research, and evidence exists that they delay cognitive development,” said Dr Barend van Drooge.
Children across Europe face exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from home wood-burning that could be as significant as exposure to traffic exhaust. Researchers measuring indoor air quality in schools, sports centres, and residences across six towns and cities found that domestic stoves and open fireplaces contribute to urban pollution levels.
The study, published in new research, focused on (PAH), a family of pollutants released during fuel combustion. Investigators gathered air samples in and around Athens, Barcelona, Colchester, Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Lisbon.
Urban locations where wood-burning occurs, specifically Colchester and Athens, recorded the highest concentrations of these compounds. In both cities, PAH exposure was greater than World Health Organization guidelines. Conversely, Barcelona and Lisbon registered the lowest levels, where wood-burning is not practised.
“Understanding the pollutants in children’s everyday surroundings is an important step towards protecting their health,” said Maria Antonia Aretaki, first author of the study from the Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research in Barcelona. “Children are particularly important given their vulnerability to environmental pollutants and the potential health implications from exposure during childhood.”
Sports centres showed the lowest concentrations, followed by schools, though some schools, especially those in Lisbon, were affected by nearby busy roads. Indoor ventilation and indoor sources were important, with the homes with some of the greatest PAH being in areas with wood-burning, and many had open fireplaces and stoves.
Seasonal shifts altered the data. Winter PAH concentrations were greater than summer.
In Colchester homes, high-molecular-weight PAH in winter were more than 10 times those in summer. Low-molecular-weight PAH were around three times greater.
“Wood-burning is known to be an important emitter of PAH, but it was surprising that it has become such an important contributor to the overall presence of PAHs in urban areas,” van Drooge said. He added that none of the cities exceeded unacceptable limits for lifetime cancer risk.
The impact in the United Kingdom is unlikely to be unique to Colchester. Separate analysis of energy performance certificates by researchers at University College London showed that Colchester ranked 120th out of 333 local councils for density of wood burners per square kilometre. Worthing, Norwich and Reading all had around four times more.
Local findings from a wintertime study of 53 children from two primary schools in Anglesey found that children living in homes with wood burners could be exposed to over three times more particle pollution than those in non-wood-burning homes. That study also found that homes had more air pollution than schools.
In Greece, wood-burning increased during the financial crisis that began in 2008 as the cost of heating oil soared. This contributed to increased deaths associated with particle pollution in Athens, especially for those aged over 70. In some Greek towns, wood-burning leads to PAH that are 100 times greater in winter compared with summer.
