Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Using a wood or coal-burning stove, or an open fire in the home, may contribute to a reduction in lung function, according to new research from University College London (UCL).
Presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, the study found that individuals in England who relied on solid fuels experienced a faster decline in lung function over an eight-year period compared with those who did not use these fuels.
The use of solid fuels—such as wood, coal, and other combustible materials—for domestic heating has risen in some parts of Europe, driven by higher fossil fuel prices and the promotion of wood as a renewable energy option.
In the UK, domestic solid fuel now accounts for around 20% of harmful PM2.5 air pollution (fine particulate matter), compared with just 4% from road vehicle emissions.
Annual emissions from home wood burning have nearly doubled, rising from 3,200 tonnes in 2009 to 6,000 tonnes in 2023.
Dr. Laura Horsfall of the UCL Institute of Health Informatics pointed out at the Congress that they know that burning wood at home releases dangerous pollutants both indoors and outdoors, including known carcinogens. Despite this, emissions from domestic wood burning in the UK have roughly doubled since 2009 as more households install and use wood stoves.
She further indicated however, that the connection with health outcomes in high-income nations is not well known and residential areas with increased emissions are difficult to mark using the current air quality monitoring networks.
Building on earlier research that mapped solid fuel stove usage across the UK, the team analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) to explore the link between self-reported solid fuel use in English homes and declines in lung function.
They evaluated lung function using FEV₁, a measure that records the volume of air a person can forcefully exhale in the first second of breathing.
Lower FEV₁ levels are linked to a higher risk of respiratory problems and poorer overall health, making it an important objective indicator for tracking conditions such as COPD and asthma.
Assessing the health effects of solid fuel is complicated by the fact that households using wood or coal tend to be wealthier and healthier. Dr. Horsfall indicated that they observed that people using solid fuel were less likely to smoke or have pre-existing lung conditions, which can conceal the real impact of solid fuel exposure.
“However, using repeated lung function measurements over an eight-year period, we found that lung function declined faster among solid fuel users compared to non-users, even after adjusting for socioeconomic and housing factors. This suggests an important link between solid fuel use and respiratory decline, despite the healthier baseline of the exposed group.
She further indicated that their study shows that elevated levels of particulate matter from stoves destroy respiratory tissues, which can result in the occurrence of inflammation which is similar to that of cigarette smoke.
Dr Horsfall and her colleagues now aim to explore whether residents living in or near neighborhoods with a high density of wood-burning stoves—often found in more affluent areas of London—experience higher rates of respiratory problems, including increased inhaler use and hospital admissions for lung conditions.
Professor Ane Johannessen, head of the European Respiratory Society’s epidemiology and environment expert group at the University of Bergen, Norway, who was not part of the study, stated that across Europe, there is a rising trend of using wood-burning stoves in homes. She further indicated that studies from other regions where traditional wood stoves are common have shown that this can be harmful, contributing to conditions such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer.
