Are fireplaces healthy?

Although the image of a log fire is often associated with the holidays, romance and cozy nights inside shielded from plummeting temperatures, experts say wood-burning appliances are a threat to lung and heart health. They emit harmful air pollutants and fine particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream.

Can fireplaces make you sick?

Smoke may smell good, but it's not good for you. The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles, also called fine particulate matter or PM2. 5. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they may cause burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses, such as bronchitis.

Are fireplaces cancerous?

Another study similarly found “extremely high” indoor particle exposure values from open fireplaces. The researchers concluded that the lifetime increased lung cancer risk from being exposed to a wood-burning fireplace in the home is “significantly larger than the EPA acceptable lifetime risk.”

What is the healthiest fireplace?

Pellet and bioethanol fireplaces are great eco-friendly options. They are highly efficient, use fuel from sustainable sources, and bioethanol fireplaces in particular don't generate any emissions. High-efficiency wood fireplaces are also a good option, particularly if you use wood from sustainable sources.

Are indoor fireplaces safe?

Fires might trigger respiratory conditions

“The result can be burning eyes, a runny nose and illnesses such as bronchitis.” The tiny particles can find their way deep into your lungs and bloodstream — exacerbating preexisting conditions, such as asthma. And even healthy people might feel temporarily ill.

Heating Your House Efficiently with a Wood Burning Fireplace or Stove

Can a fireplace cause sinus problems?

Indoor Heating.

Common indoor heating sources such as electric heaters and fireplaces can both worsen sinus symptoms during the winter months. Heaters dry out the air and fireplaces can irritate the nasal passages.

Is wood smoke worse than cigarette smoke?

Wood smoke vs. cigarette smoke: EPA estimates suggest that a single fireplace operating for an hour and burning 10 pounds of wood generates 4,300 times more carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons than 30 cigarettes.

Which is healthier gas or wood-burning fireplace?

Wood-Burning Fireplace. In the battle for most efficient fireplace, gas fireplace efficiency is always going to win over wood fireplace efficiency. That's because gas fireplaces burn more cleanly and produce fewer polluting emissions.

Is burning wood worse than gas?

Bad (worse than coal) wood

Biomass from sources like this produces emissions higher than natural gas, though still lower than coal.

Is burning wood worse than natural gas?

In terms of electricity generation, smokestack emissions from combusting wood can be more than three times higher than those of natural gas, and 1.5 times those of coal per MWh.

Are wood stoves unhealthy?

Wood smoke can cause coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks, and lead to serious health issues, such as heart attacks, lung cancer and premature death. Wood smoke also adds carbon dioxide and methane to the air, both of which significantly contribute to climate change.

Are wood burners unhealthy?

Wood burners triple the level of harmful pollution particles inside homes and should be sold with a health warning, says scientists, who also advise that they should not be used around elderly people or children. The tiny particles flood into the room when the burner doors are opened for refuelling, a study found.

Why does my fireplace give me a headache?

Pollutants in wood smoke can cause the eyes, nose and throat to burn with irritation, and even cause headaches, nausea and acute bronchitis in some people.

Is it bad to breathe in smoke from a fireplace?

It is poisonous if inhaled in too big of a quantity and can kill you. It causes nausea, headaches, and dizziness, and can also aggravate the health condition of people with cardiac issues.

Are fumes from wood fireplace harmful?

Emissions from wood smoke, discussed below, can cause coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, heart attacks, lung cancer, and premature death, among other health effects. Many of these pollutants can worsen air quality indoors and outdoors.

Why do fireplaces make you sleepy?

Fireplaces can make you sleepy by generating warmth that relaxes your muscles and from the white noise generated by the burning firewood. Fires are also usually lit at nighttime, after the last meal of the day has been consumed and darkness has fallen, which also both trigger your body to go to sleep.

Are fireplaces eco-friendly?

It's been found that natural gas fireplace systems can have much less of an impact than wood— with 99% less pollutants. This huge cutback in emissions means your gas-burning fireplace will produce less unhealthy pollution in your home, as well as outdoors.

Why are fireplaces bad for the environment?

A fireplace can emit up to 8 times as much global warming CO₂ per unit of heat as an efficient wood stove. Heating with wood can be safe and feasible in locations where pollutants do not create health problems or violate air-quality standards, but only if you use sustainably harvested wood and an EPA-certified stove.

Is it cleaner to burn wood or coal?

* Also, dry wood lights easily, but a coal fire requires much more kindling to get it going. Further, wood burns cleanly, while coal smoke is considered dirty. If you do use coal, anthracite is a relarively clean-burning fuel with a low sulfur content.

What is the most eco-friendly fire?

Gas fires can achieve up to 86% efficiency and a flueless gas fire is 100% energy efficient. A gas fire doesn't use as much energy and is cheaper to run – they also don't produce any smoke. Gas is a much more eco-friendly fireplace option than an open fire.

Is wood-burning fireplace pros and cons?

Wood burning fireplaces produce more emissions than gas, meaning they're a bit worse for the environment overall. Wood fireplaces require some time and effort to get started and going strong. Maintaining a healthy supply of wood takes more planning.

Are Duraflame logs toxic to humans?

Are duraflame firelogs and firestarters dangerous to pets or small children? Store firelogs and firestarters out of reach of pets and small children. They are not suitable for human or animal consumption. For safety purposes, it's always best to keep pets and small children away from the fireplace while it is in use.

What wood is toxic burning?

Poisonous Wood

Burning poison oak, poison ivy, poison sumac and poisonwood creates smoke with irritant oils that can cause severe breathing problems and eye irritation.

Do you need to wear a mask when wood burning?

Mask. We recommend a mask that has a carbon filter, to protect your lungs from damaging fumes, which can cause problems over time with longer exposure to wood smoke. Two masks that we use are the RZ Mask and the half-respirator.

Is wood clean burning?

No fuel that involves combustion of a material is entirely clean. In comparison with other energy options, wood can be a relatively clean option. However, inefficient burning can produce particulate matter in smoke.