UK Study Links Indoor Wood Burning Stoves to Lung Function Decline Comparable to Smoking

Recent research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam reveals that using wood-burning stoves indoors can cause lung damage comparable to cigarette smoke. The study, led by Dr. Laura Horsfall from University College London, analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and found that users of wood stoves experienced a faster decline in lung function, measured by forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), even though these individuals were generally healthier and wealthier. Domestic wood burning in the UK now contributes to 20% of the country's fine particulate pollution (PM2.5), surpassing vehicle exhaust emissions by five times, with emissions nearly doubling since 2009. The popularity of wood-burning stoves, often promoted as environmentally friendly, is rising despite growing evidence of health risks, with usage increasing from 10% to 18% over recent years. Researchers highlight that wood burning releases harmful carcinogens both indoors and outdoors, causing respiratory inflammation and increasing risks of respiratory disease, disability, and early death. This emerging health concern is exacerbated by difficulties in monitoring localized air pollution from residential wood burning.