Ban fireplaces immediately. They produce as much dirt as cars

There is something literally magical about a blazing fire. Because it has been with us as a source of light and heat since prehistoric times, we have a relationship with it rooted deep in our DNA as an ancestral heritage. Thanks to him we are here and they survived usually thanks to the fire. Could there even be a silent threat lurking in it?

Worse or the same as a car?

Unfortunately, current research shows that both wood-burning boilers and wood-burning stoves produce practically the same amount of emissions as cars out on the road. At the same time, advances in technology do not matter, because the central principle is still the same. Solid material is burned and thus harmful substances are released. Mostly microscopic.

So is it really time to change our romanticized view of the burning hearth and start fighting a new threat instead? Right in our home?

Romance versus alarming reality

Fireplace stoves, the reconstruction of fireplaces and the transition to solid fuels in general have experienced a literal boom in recent years. There were several reasons, in our regions mainly extreme fluctuations in the prices of run-of-the-mill energy. That is, gas and electricity. So people either returned to fireplaces and heating with wood, or bought new devices straight away.

Because we are a country with a strong history, we have all experienced a fire in the fireplace at some point and it is an ancient tradition. However, it is alarming that the symbol of domestic warmth and well-being is simultaneously posing a silent threat to both the public atmosphere and our own health.

This also applies to modern ones

At the same time, it is definitely not just old “pieces”, the problem is with modern so-called ecological stoves. Heating in them produces up to 450 times more emissions than gas heating. Older types are even worse, compared to modern types it is 3700 times more polluted. You can no longer buy such stoves, but many households still own and use them. They can thus easily be compared to the traffic of cars on the road.

Photo: Shutterstock

What is actually being released?

These are mainly small particles called PM 2.5. Due to their size or smallness, they can easily reach the bloodstream, even children in the womb are at risk. Exposure of the organism to these particles can quickly and later increase the risk of cardiovascular and so many “popular” respiratory diseases. We are also talking about cancer, asthma or stroke.

At the same time, it is not just about the intervention of a specific household. The use of this heater also endangers people in the vicinity, again especially children.

Zones and information

For example, Bristol, England, has already implemented “clean air zones” to reduce pollution from both traffic and other sources. However, it solves only part of the problem, the main thing is education. It is therefore necessary to at least consider bans or regulations. Alternative sources provide the same heat, but with much lower risks.

Photo: Shutterstock, source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk, AmericanLungAssociation, DeseretNews