A new study finds that reducing exposure to smoke from open fires and wood-burning cook stoves significantly reduces the incidence of pneumonia, the leading of death for children five and under in developing countries. In an assessment of families in the western highlands of Guatemala, researchers found a one-third reduction in severe pneumonia diagnoses among children in homes with smoke-reducing chimneys compared with homes that use dirtier, poorly ventilated stoves, which are the primary source of cooking and heat for 3 billion people, or 43 percent of the global population. “The amount of smoke exposure babies were getting from the open woodfire stoves is comparable to having them smoke three to five cigarettes a day,” said Kirk Smith, a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley and principal investigator of the study, published in the journal The Lancet. “The chimney stoves reduced that smoke exposure by a half, on average.”
FAQs
Can wood smoke cause pneumonia? ›
Children who regularly breathe wood smoke are more likely to have shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, asthma, disrupted sleep, inflamed respiratory tracts, and pneumonia.
What are the harmful effects of wood smoke? ›Emissions from wood smoke, discussed below, can cause coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, heart attacks, and premature death, among other health effects. Many of these pollutants can worsen air quality indoors and outdoors. Particle pollution. In some places, wood-burning is the major source of particle pollution.
Is wood stove smoke bad for your health? ›Particle pollution is especially dangerous because these tiny particles can get deep into the organs, harming not just the lungs, but also blood vessels, the heart and brain. Wood smoke can cause coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks, and lead to serious health issues, such as heart attacks, stroke and premature death.
What does wood smoke contribute to? ›The biggest health threat from wood smoke comes from fine particles (also called particulate matter). They are small enough to enter the lungs where they can cause bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, or other serious respiratory diseases.
Is wood smoke more harmful than cigarettes? ›Wood smoke is worse
In fact, research evidence tells us it is worse. For example, extracts of particulate matter “containing substantial quantities of wood smoke” were found to be 30 times more potent at inducing tumors than extracts of cigarette smoke condensate in a laboratory study.
Well quick answer first – are wood stove smoke, diesel smoke, and cigarette smoke all equally bad for you. In fact, wood smoke might be worse for you than cigarette smoke - but that's only if you were to smoke it like you were to smoke a cigarette.
Is wood smoke carcinogenic? ›There are several types of aldehydes in wood smoke, including acetaldehyde, which is a probable carcinogen, formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen (PDF), and acrolein.
How should you protect yourself from wood burning smoke? ›Work in a well-ventilated area; fans or fume extractors are always a good idea! (Position the fan right next to your work, facing away from you to pull smoke away from your face.) I also turn an air purifier on near my workspace.
How serious is smoke inhalation? ›Fine particles from smoke (fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5) can travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Inhaling fine particles can cause a variety of health effects, like respiratory irritation and shortness of breath. It can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease.
Is wood smoke bad for your lungs? ›Wood smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, likely including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that cause COVID-19.
Is it safe to sleep in a room with a wood burning stove? ›
A regular question we get asked here at Homefire is “Are wood burning stoves safe and can I leave them on and go to bed?”. The simple answer? Yes - you just need to make sure before leaving your fire unattended that you make the necessary steps to make sure it is safe to do so.
Is campfire smoke bad for your lungs? ›Smoke from an open flame affects everybody who breathes it. It contains wood tars, gases, soot, carbon monoxide, dioxins, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other fine particles that can go deep into the lungs.
Can moldy firewood make you sick? ›Exposure to mold in firewood is a particular concern if you have kids. Multiple studies show that there are clear links between mold exposure and childhood asthma and allergies.
Is wood smoke addictive? ›With many of the same toxins and gases which anesthetize brain receptors found in cigarettes and woodburning it is plausible that woodburning could be an equally addictive behavior as smoking cigarettes. Only one out of six U.S. households ever burn wood at all. Some former smokers are heavy wood burners.
Is smoke from a wood fire bad for the environment? ›Environmental Impacts
Wood smoke is a significant contributor to the air pollution problem in the Denver Metro Area. Using a non-certified wood stove for four hours emits as much carbon monoxide as driving a car 20 miles. Wood burning: Can contribute up to 20% of the Particulate Matter (PM-10) in the air.
Even occasional exposure to wood smoke can cause watery eyes, stuffy noses, and chest tightness. Smoke particles can also cause: Headaches. Lung and eye irritation.
What are the symptoms of wood dust in the lungs? ›Human body absorbs the chemicals in the wood through the lungs, skin and digestive system, resulting in breathlessness, headaches, dizziness, cramps, irregular heartbeat and weight loss.
Can wood dust cause lung infection? ›Wood dust poses the following risks to worker health: Inhaling dust into the lungs can cause breathing problems and lead to lung diseases such as occupational asthma and lung cancer. Breathing in dust is the most common type of exposure to wood dust.
Can a wood fire make you sick? ›Health effects of wood smoke
Most healthy people recover quickly from exposure to wood smoke and do not suffer long-term effects, however any exposure to fine particles has the potential to affect health. The degree of health effects that you may experience depends on how much smoke you are exposed to and for how long.