Burning wood or coal pollutes the air inside and outside your home. The toxic particulate matter produced by burning is harmful for you and your neighbours.

Health impacts

Particulate matter pollution (the small toxic particulates produced from burning wood and coal) is made up of tiny particles in the air. Whilst we can see the biggest particles in the air, the smallest and most harmful cannot be seen with the naked eye. These smallest particles can be breathed in, entering our lungs and having an effect on our health.

Burning wood produces this particulate matter pollution that cause respiratory conditions, heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

Particulate pollution has an impact on health through both long term exposure to low levels and acute impacts associated with short term peaks in pollution.

Burning wood and coal in homes produces more than a third of the directly emitted particulate matter pollution in the UK.

Evidence shows that high levels of particulate pollution for very short period can cause life-threatening illnesses such as asthma attacks, heart arrhythmias, and even heart attacks, in vulnerable people with pre-existing health conditions. As a result, it is important to tackle all sources of air pollution.

Open fires and stoves

Open fires and stoves are usually used as a secondary source of heating, in homes with another way of heating them, which in Bristol, will usually be gas. When compared to gas, open fires and stoves produce much higher levels of particulate matter.

Authorised fuels

If you’re not using an exempt appliance, you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels from Defra.

Exempt appliances

You can burn unauthorised fuels in an exempt appliances such as some boilers, cookers, and stoves. However, you must only use the type of fuel that the manufacturer says can be used in the appliance. View the list of exempt appliances on the Defra website.

Whilst using an exempt stove and approved fuel will reduce the levels of particulates released into the air, when compared to an older stove/open fire and dirtier fuels, significant amounts of particulate pollution are still emitted. This pollution can still cause damage to residents health due to the popularity of solid fuel increasing in a large, densely populated urban area like Bristol.

Treated timber should not be burned in any appliance. Lots of timber is treated to stop it rotting in outdoor settings or has glue holding it together which when burnt releases toxic carcinogenic emissions into our homes and outdoor air.

Remember that if you have an open fire in Bristol it is an offence to burn wood on it. You can only burn an authorised fuel.

Indoor Air Pollution

Burning wood or coal not only impacts on the level of pollution in the air outside, it can also have an affect on the indoor pollution levels of yours or your neighbours home. A study by the University of Sheffield found that particles enter the home when the stove door is opened, and fuel added. This pollution then remains in the home for several hours.