Khaberni - Scientists from Northwestern University have shown that burning wood in homes significantly contributes to winter air pollution in the United States, even though most people do not consider it a serious source of pollution.
Despite only 2% of American homes relying on wood as a primary heating source, wood emissions contribute to more than a fifth of Americans' exposure to fine particulate matter in the air (PM2.5) during the winter season.
These fine particles can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart and lung diseases, and even premature death. The new study suggests that wood pollution is linked to about 8,600 deaths annually.
It is noteworthy that the majority of those affected live in cities rather than rural areas, and the health burden is disproportionately borne by ethnic minorities, who burn smaller quantities of wood but are exposed to higher levels of pollution and greater health damage, possibly due to the effects of previous discriminatory policies and their higher basic mortality rates.
Kiyan Shlibak, the leader of the study from Northwestern University, said: "Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases."
He added: "Studies have shown that this exposure leads to an increased risk of death, and our study suggests that reducing the burning of wood in homes would have a significant impact on reducing pollution."
Daniel Horton, the principal author of the study, said: "We often hear about the effects of wildfires, but we do not think about the risks of burning wood for heating in our homes." He explained that shifting to cleaner heat sources or those not reliant on combustion in homes could significantly improve air quality.
A detailed study on wood burning
The study focused on burning wood in homes, including emissions from furnaces, boilers, and stoves. Researchers gathered data from the National Emissions Registry, and used a high-precision atmospheric model to simulate the movement of pollution through the air, taking into account weather, wind, temperature, terrain, and the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
The team divided the United States into a grid with each square side being 4 kilometers, and calculated the amount of pollution every hour and how it is transported and accumulates. The simulation showed that burning wood contributes about 22% of fine particle pollution in the winter and is one of the biggest pollution sources during the coldest months of the year, especially in cities and suburbs.
Effects on population groups
Researchers found that people of color suffer greater health impacts even though they burn smaller amounts of wood. In the Greater Chicago area, black communities face health impacts from wood burning that are more than 30% higher than the city average. This is due to the transfer of pollution from suburbs to densely populated cities, in addition to environmental stress caused by past policies.
Horton said: "Pollutants emitted from wood move to densely populated cities, exposing more people to them, and the health impacts are greater on ethnic minorities."
The researchers noted that the study focused on outdoor pollution, while indoor exposure to fine particles has general health effects that were not included in the study.
