News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 243-7446
Tucson, Arizona (November 25, 2008) – Cooler nights and holidays will bring more fireplaces and wood stoves into use in our community. Wood smoke contains hundreds of chemical compounds, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. These compounds can cause health problems, especially for children, pregnant women and people with respiratory ailments and heart disease. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified woodstoves, fireplace inserts, and natural gas fireplaces emit significantly less air pollution than traditional woodstoves and fireplaces. Pima County Department of Environmental Quality suggests that those who use traditional fireplaces for recreational purposes (not as the sole source of heat in their homes) voluntarily reduce the number of fires they light to improve air quality in our community.
“Every winter I receive calls from community members who cannot walk in their neighborhood due to the affects of wood smoke on their health,” said Beth Gorman, Program Manager at PDEQ. “Wood smoke is about 85% fine particulates. The very small particles from the smoke can penetrate deep in the lungs and become trapped for years, contributing to lung disease,” Gorman continued. Exposure to the pollutants in wood smoke can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea, irregular heart beat, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and can aggravate asthma and other respiratory diseases.
A standard wood-burning fireplace is an inefficient and often unhealthy method of heating and can actually remove more heat from a house than it produces. Cold outside air rushes in through cracks and leaks in the home to replace the heated air that exits up the chimney. The pollution from the burning wood can affect the quality of indoor, as well as outdoor air. According to the EPA, several of the pollutants emitted from wood burning have demonstrated cancer-causing properties similar to cigarette smoke. Combustion gases and particles can enter the home from chimneys and flues that are improperly installed or maintained and cracked furnace heat exchangers. Pollutants from fireplaces and woodstoves with no dedicated outdoor air supply can be “back-drafted” from the chimney into the living space, particularly in well-sealed weatherized homes. It is recommended that furnaces, flues and chimneys be inspected annually and that cracks or damaged parts are repaired promptly.
Those who use fireplaces or woodstoves can follow these tips for healthier burning:
• Burn seasoned hardwoods (oak, mesquite, pecan) instead of softwoods (cedar, fir, pine) because hardwoods burn hotter and form less creosote and smoke;
• Use wood that has been split and dried for at least six months;
• Use smaller pieces of wood. They burn more efficiently so they are a better source of heat;
• Make sure there is enough room in the firebox for air to circulate freely around the wood
• Do not use green or wet woods because they smoke and form creosote;
• Never burn painted scrap wood or wood treated with preservatives, because they could release highly toxic pollutants;
• Do not burn plastics, charcoal, and colored paper such as comics, because they also produce toxic pollutants;
• Go outside and check your chimney frequently. If you see smoke coming out, you’re wasting wood by not burning hot enough. Give the fire more air and check the chimney again;
• Watch your smoke. If it goes into your neighbor’s yard, you are causing a nuisance and should remedy the situation; and
• Avoid burning wood on days when air pollution levels are elevated. Check www.airinfonow.org or (520) 882-4AIR for hourly air pollution information.
Residents who heat their homes with non-EPA-certified wood-burning fireplaces or woodstoves may consider replacing them with new ones to reduce emissions and improve heating efficiency. According to information from the Hearth Products Association, fireplaces with EPA-certified inserts and EPA-certified woodstoves reduce emissions by 85 percent when compared to traditional fireplaces and woodstoves. Natural gas fireplaces reduce emissions significantly more.
If you are using your fireplace for the ambiance, as opposed to it being the sole source of heat, PDEQ staff has a suggestion that will reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution. “Individuals who use fireplaces recreationally, because they enjoy the flicker of flames, may find that multiple candles of differing heights in the fireplace can be as relaxing to watch and will improve the quality of the air we all breathe,” said Gorman.
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