Children living in homes with wood burners could be exposed to over three times more pollution than those in non-wood-burning homes, according to a study in Wales. The research, which tracked primary schoolchildren on Anglesey, found that the home environment was the largest contributor to daily particle pollution exposure, far exceeding school or commuting.
Fifty-three children from two schools in Holyhead and a rural area carried backpacks fitted with air pollution sensors. The study, led by Cardiff and Exeter universities, revealed that non-smoking homes with wood burners had average particle pollution of about 13 micrograms per cubic metre, compared with 3.5 micrograms in those without. Dr Hanbin Zhang from the University of Exeter noted that indoor sources such as wood burning and smoking were mainly responsible.
Short pollution peaks were linked to cooking and secondhand smoke, while longer exposures came from heating with fires or stoves, sometimes persisting overnight in bedrooms. Urban children experienced less particle pollution than those in the rural school, attributed to lower wood burner use (21% vs 53%).
Professor Zhiwen Luo from Cardiff University said the small study was consistent in showing that wood burning can substantially increase indoor pollution. The UK government is currently consulting on health warnings for new stoves and solid fuels.
The study also found that children who walked to school experienced less pollution than those driven, and parental smoking while driving produced the highest measured concentrations. Schools reported that parents began discussing the results and trying to identify indoor pollution sources.
