Indoor pollution and burning practices in wood stove management

M.T Piccardo,M Cipolla,A Stella,M Ceppi,M Bruzzone,A Izzotti,F Valerio

doi:10.1080/10962247.2014.943353

Abstract

This study evaluates effects of good burning practice and correct installation and management of wood heaters on indoor air pollution in an Italian rural area. The same study attests the role of education in mitigating wood smoke pollution. In August 2007 and winters of 2007 and 2008, in a little mountain village of Liguria Apennines (Italy), indoor and outdoor benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) concentrations were measured in nine wood-heated houses. During the first sampling, several mistakes in heating plant installations and management were found in all houses. Indoor BTEX concentrations increased during use of wood burning. Low toluene/benzene ratios were in agreement with wood smoke as main indoor and outdoor pollution source. Other BTEX sources were identified as the indoor use of solvents and paints and incense burning. Results obtained during 2007 were presented and discussed with homeowners. Following this preventive intervention, in the second winter sampling all indoor BTEX concentrations decreased, in spite of the colder outdoor air temperatures. Information provided to families has induced the adoption of effective good practices in stoves and fire management. These results highlight the importance of education, supported by reliable data on air pollution, as an effective method to reduce wood smoke exposures.Implications:Information about burning practices and correct installation and management of wood heaters, supported by reliable data on indoor and outdoor pollution, may help to identify and remove indoor pollution sources. This can be an effective strategy in mitigate wood smoke pollution.

Highlights

The burning of wood for domestic heating is a common practice in many developed countries, those with cooler climates
This study evaluates effects of good burning practice and correct installation and management of wood heaters on indoor air pollution in an Italian rural area
Based on the analytical results and family interviews, important indoor BTEX sources other than wood smoke were found in some houses: the presence of paint and solvents, incineration of plastic and paper wastes in the stove, and frequent use of incense

Summary

Introduction

The burning of wood for domestic heating is a common practice in many developed countries, those with cooler climates. Wood heating is relatively inexpensive and reduces fossil fuel consumption, it can increase indoor and outdoor air pollution (Kaarakka et al, 1989; Gullet et al, 2003; Gustafson et al, 2007) by generating various air pollutants. Volatile aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX), are present in wood smoke; benzene is the bestknown compound due to its carcinogenic properties (International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC], 2010). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified indoor emissions from household combustion as likely to be carcinogenic in humans (IARC, 2010). Several studies have shown high exposure to pollutants emitted by wood-fired boilers, mainly in rural areas, where the high availability of wood encourages its use (Gaeggeler et al, 2008; Galbally et al, 2009; Ward and Lange, 2010), whereas epidemiological and controlled-exposure studies have highlighted associations between wood smoke exposure and adverse human health effects in the respiratory system (Naeher et al, 2007; Po et al, 2011; Ghio et al, 2012) and in the cardiovascular system (McGowan et al, 2002; Rappold et al, 2011, Unosson et al, 2013)

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Results

Conclusion