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A selection of quotes and facts is archived here. Click on a thumbnail to see the whole image.
Air pollution levels can be 100 times higher for neighbors of wood burners than for others in the community.
Extracts of particulate matter from wood smoke are 30 times more potent than those of cigarette smoke in a tumor induction study.
Wood burning is a surprisingly large contributor of toxins such as benzene to our environment.
“For an equal amount of heat or electricity, it releases more CO2 than burning gas, oil, and even coal, so straight away we have more CO2 in the air from burning wood.”
Burning 10 lbs of wood for one hour releases as many toxic PAHs as 6,000 packs of cigarettes.
“It is a myth that eco-labelled wood stoves under optimal firing conditions do not pollute.”
Wood smoke particulate matter generates more DNA damage than traffic-generated particulate matter per unity mass in human cell lines.
“Short-term increases in pollution from residential wood burning are linked with higher heart attack rates in seniors.”
The most dangerous components of air pollution are up to 500% higher inside homes that burn wood compared to those that don’t.
“Carcinogens are found in wood smoke, and we routinely see dogs with chronic bronchitis, cats with asthma, as well as nasal and lung cancers…”
“As with other combustion mixtures, such as diesel and tobacco smoke, fresh wood smoke contains a large number of ultrafine particles…”
“The toxic free radicals in wood smoke are biologically active 40 times longer than the free radicals in cigarette smoke.”
