Fireplaces & Indoor Air Quality - by the "IAQ Video Network" (2013) During cold weather, few things can be as cozy and attractive as lighting a wood fire in your home. Others rely on wood stoves and fireplaces as their primary heating method to deliver warmth throughout a house or room. According to the EPA's Burn Wise program, there are approximately 29 million wood-burning fireplaces in the United States. Although fireplaces can provide warmth and ambiance, they can also create indoor air quality issues if the fireplace is not operating properly. Combustion gases and particles can enter a home from a chimney and flue that has been improperly installed or maintained. Pollutants from fireplaces and wood stoves with no dedicated outdoor air supply can even be "back-drafted" from the chimney into the living space. Smoke from a wood-burning fireplace may smell good, but it's not good for people. Wood smoke can affect everyone, but children, the elderly, and people with lung disease, including asthma and COPD or people with heart disease are the most vulnerable. Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and particles that are produced when wood burns. A major health threat from smoke comes from fine particulate matter. These microscopic particles can get into people's eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems. Particulate matter can also create ghosting effects on walls and materials when it settles in a home. In addition to particle pollution, wood smoke can contain harmful air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and other chemicals. Carbon monoxide is another concern. This colorless, odorless gas interferes with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body. People exposed to carbon monoxide may experience a range of symptoms from headaches and dizziness to death at high concentrations. People are encouraged to have a professional inspect and maintain their wood fireplaces and chimneys on an annual basis. Chimneys should also be regularly cleaned to remove creosote buildup as clean chimneys reduce the chance of a chimney fire. These are just a few things to know about fireplaces and indoor air quality issues.

Wood Smoke Exposure & Your Health - by the "IAQ Video Network" (2016) Many people burn wood in their homes for heat and ambience during the cold months. The smell of burning wood is pleasant to some people, but even though wood is a natural substance, exposure to wood smoke can be hazardous to one’s health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the smoke from wood burning is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles (also called particle pollution, particulate matter or PM). In addition to particle pollution, wood smoke contains several toxic harmful air pollutants including: benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Carbon monoxide is also produced during the burning of wood. These substances and microscopic particles can get into the eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems. The EPA states that short-term exposures to particles (hours or days) from wood smoke can aggravate lung disease, causing asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. Long-term exposures (months or years) have been associated with problems such as reduced lung function and the development of chronic bronchitis, and even premature death. Some studies also suggest that long-term PM 2.5 exposures may be linked to cancer and to harmful developmental and reproductive effects, such as infant mortality and low birth weight. The EPA reports that wood smoke can affect everyone, but children, teenagers, older adults, people with lung diseases, including asthma and COPD, or people with heart diseases are the most vulnerable. Research indicates that obesity or diabetes may also increase risk. These are just a few things to know about wood smoke exposure and your health.