Overview
- The charity says PM2.5 from log and wood fires can enter the bloodstream and remain detectable for up to three months, raising the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- BHF-funded University of Edinburgh research using inhaled gold nanoparticles as PM2.5 proxies found particles moved from lungs to blood and accumulated in diseased arterial plaques.
- About 2.7 million UK households have open fires or wood-burning stoves, reflecting renewed use during recent cold weather and higher energy costs.
- Related analyses reported nearly 2,500 UK deaths a year linked to domestic wood and coal burning and estimated NHS care costs of about £54 million annually.
- Public guidance urges using electric or gas for heating and cooking where possible, improving ventilation and extraction, cleaning regularly, keeping homes above 19C, servicing stoves annually, burning only dry fuel, fitting flue liners and carbon monoxide alarms, and keeping stove doors closed.