fireplace & Health Threats

Fireplaces, wood stoves and other hearth appliances are particularly popular worldwide; half of all U.S. homes have at least one fireplace or stove... But, on the other hand, there is also more and more criticism over traditional wood fireplaces and other wood-burning appliances.

The ALA (American Lung Association) is particularly critical of wood burning and urges cleaner heating solutions.

Traditional fireplaces and stoves produce between 15 and 30 grams of smoke, which contains large amounts of dangerous toxins, including dioxin, arsenic and formaldehyde that are a major health-threat to all people and especially to people with asthma, COPD and lung disease.

Image: Vent-Free Fireplace

How to overcome the problem?

New advanced fireplace and stove technology can reduce particulate emissions by as much as 90%, lowering drastically the health risks.

On the other hand, qualified wood fireplace inserts and qualified wood stoves (EPA Certified units, in the USA) can also reduce the levels of pollutants to about 1 to 4 grams per hour (instead of 15 to 30 grams), making wood fireplaces and free standing stoves much safer.

Pellet and gas units

Pellet and gas fireplaces and stoves are also direct alternatives to traditional fireplaces. They do not pose the health threats of wood-burning.

Pellets produce much less smoke and very small quantities of toxins, while gas fireplaces – as long as properly vented – do not deteriorate the quality of the indoor air.

See: Efficient Pellet Stoves and The best gas stoves

Other Safety issues

Gas fireplace warning Pay also attention to fires and burns. They are common with wood, biomass and gas fireplaces. Basic safety measures are crucial.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure that children and visitors are aware of the very hot temperatures of the fireplace and stove glass elements. Restrict the access to your fireplace or stove by children, by installing a safety gate… Be aware: even after turned off, the glass panel or some of their metal surfaces can remain very hot during some time.

For a critical article on wood fireplaces, see: New York Times
For a defense of wood-burning, see: High Country News
For an article with the American Lung position, see: American Lung Association