Welcome to the Australian Air Quality Group's Website with important info on our Air Quality
(our AirQuality Aus FB also has lots of great info!). Email: ausairqual@gmail.com to help the Clean Air Campaign!
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"Current Australian wood heater standards are insufficient to protect health" says the Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR, an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence) in their excellent position paper on wood heater pollution, written by 11 of the leading experts in the field of air pollution and health.
Tests of real-life emissions show that new wood heaters are almost as polluting as the ones in use 20 years ago and that burning 10 kg wood (an evening's heat) in a modern Australian wood heater emits as many carcinogens as in the smoke from over 200,000 cigarettes.
Low levels of PM2.5 pollution cause more health damage than previously thought
Low levels of PM2.5 pollution cause more health damage than previously thought
Chen & Hoek (2020) reviewed studies to Oct 2018. Larger exposure-response function (ERF) at lower PM2.5 levels
Nine published studies with mean PM2.5 < 12 ug/m3, ERF = 1.2% (CI 1.08-1.17%) per 1 ug/m3 PM2.5 increase
Five published studies with mean PM2.5 < 10 ug/m3, ERF = 1.7% (CI 1.2-2.3%)
Studies since Oct 2018 (details below): ERF at least 1.2% for exposure < 12 ug/m3
GEMM (Global Exposure Mortality Model, ACT pollution levels), 1.35-1.9% (age dependent)
Aus (Yu et al. Plos 2020, 242,000 deaths, PM2.5 range: 1.6 to 9 ug/m3), IQR 5.0-7.0 (Bris), 3.0-3.8 (Rest of Qld), ERF = 2.02% (CI 1.4–2.6%)
NZ (Hales et al. Sci Tot Env, mean PM2.5 6.5 ug/m3 SD 2.1, range: 4.1 to 15.4 ug/m3, ERF=1.1%, joint model of PM2.5 and NO2)
Plausible range 1.1 to 2.02% increased mortality per 1 ug/m3 increase in PM2.5
Other studies since Oct 2018
So et al. (Envir Internat 2022, Denmark. 3.3 mill subjects, 804,000 deaths), ERF = 2.2% (CI 1.8–2.6%), even steeper slope for exposure < 12 ug/m3)
Strak et al. (BMJ 2021, ERF = 2.1% (CI 2.1-3.1%), even steeper slope for exposure < 12 ug/m3)
Shi et al. (Envir Sci Tech 2022, 22.8 mill subjects aged > 65, studied 2001-17) ERF = 1.2% (CI 1.1-1.4%) for exposure < 12 ug/m3 , reduces to 0.8% in models fitting PM2.5, NO2 and O3)
Weichenthal et al. (Science Advances, 2022) Canadian Cohort, ERF = 0.8% overall, but much steeper at low pollution levels.
CAR's 6 Election Priorities
1. Alignment of national air quality standards with 2021 WHO air quality guidelines, underpinned by a continuous emissions reduction framework.
2. Strong enforcement and compliance mechanisms for exceedances of both ambient and point source pollution, supported by an enhanced air quality monitoring network.
3. Strong national action to reduce the health burden of wood heaters through the establishment of a national fund to support a wood heater replacement scheme.
4. Introduction of subsidy schemes to support vulnerable populations to access high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
5. Increased investment in, and adoption of, policies that incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV-related infrastructure.
6. Accelerated reduction of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels through increased investment in, and adoption of, policies that incentivise the uptake of renewable, low-emitting sources of energy.
24 Feb 2022. Asthma Australia says that the NSW Clean Air Strategy does not adequately address one of the biggest sources of air pollution and a major cause of asthma, domestic woodfire heaters.
"we hoped to see a reduction of smoke in the air this winter. Addressing woodfire heaters would clean up the air significantly and reduce asthma, yet this is where the Strategy under delivers. This Strategy will not help people with asthma breathe better this winter" said Kathy Packenas, Acting CEO of Asthma Australia.
Guardian, 16 October 2021. The campaign group Mums for Lungs has written to the health secretary calling for wood stoves to be phased out by 2027 because of the deceptively high levels of air pollution they emit.
Even eco-friendly versions release 500 times more particulate matter than a standard boiler, causing “despair” among people who experience the second-hand smoke from their neighbours’ wood burners. One woman, who lives in Warrington, said her health had seriously declined since a close neighbour installed a wood stove two years ago, approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Within weeks … my lungs were affected so badly that my GP had to refer me to a respiratory specialist. I can’t live like this and I intend to sell my home and move to a new area,” she said.
“I’ve contacted my local council … many times and they said they’re aware of the large increase in the number of wood-burning stoves in the town over the last few years, and that there have been a number of complaints about them, but the council seem reluctant to do anything about it. I’ve also contacted my MP, who has shown no interest.”
Tiny particle pollution – called PM2.5 – is especially harmful to health as it can pass through the lungs into the bloodstream and then be carried around the body and lodge in organs. At least 40 ,000 early deaths a year are attributed to wood burning in Europe.
Guardian, 9 October 2021. New wood burning stoves billed as more environmentally friendly still emit 750 times more tiny particle pollution than a modern HGV truck, a report has shown. The report used data on the emissions produced by stoves in perfect laboratory conditions and the pollution could be even higher in everyday use, the researchers said, with older stoves being much worse.
“The most surprising thing was how weak the ecodesign regulation is, that was really shocking for me,” said Kåre Press-Kristensen, the lead author of the analysis and senior adviser at the Green Transition Denmark NGO. “It means a new wood stove, fulfilling the strictest regulation we have and burning just one kilogramme of wood under optimal conditions, will pollute one million cubic metres of completely clean air up to the World Health Organization’s [new] guideline level.”
The report said the use of wood burning stoves should end in order to tackle deadly air pollution and boost health, with heat pumps and district heat networks deployed instead. “The green transition is actually about stopping burning things,” Press-Kristensen said.
Gary Fuller, at Imperial College London and UKRI Clean Air Champion, said: “96% of UK homes that burn wood have other types of heating. Is it fair that vehicle and factory owners are paying for technology to control air pollution while others are adding to it by burning solid fuels?”
Nice ambience created by LEDs inside a stove that hasn't been used since the owner found out about their unhealthy pollution.
Lily posted on Twitter
"Since finding out about the dangers of burning stuff a few years ago we have not used our wood burner but wanted to make something of it, so it is now used for records, books and plants. Also popped some LEDs in there for a cosy look on winter evenings!"Shared by 'Mums for Lungs' on their Facebook page, 7 Oct 2021.
Lily posted on Twitter
"Since finding out about the dangers of burning stuff a few years ago we have not used our wood burner but wanted to make something of it, so it is now used for records, books and plants. Also popped some LEDs in there for a cosy look on winter evenings!"Shared by 'Mums for Lungs' on their Facebook page, 7 Oct 2021.
Guardian, 8 October 2021. Cooperation is vital to meet WHO’s new air pollution guidelines
“It is indefensible that as a society we still chose to inefficiently burn solid fuel, meaning wood or coal, in homes in cities, mainly because it just looks nice."The World Health Organization has halved its guideline for annual PM2.5 pollution from 10 to 5 ug/m3 and reduced the maximum daily exposure guideline for from 25 to 15 ug/m3, as explained in their factsheet.
The Australian Lung Foundation's media release explains that health advocates have called for the immediate adoption of new World Health Organization (WHO) clean air guidelines by every federal, state and territory, and local government in Australia, pointing to thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health costs that could be gained through cleaner air.
Hospital Healthcare, 29 September, 2021. The Department of Education and Training Victoria will be installing air purifiers in each public school classroom as part of its safe return-to-school plan.
“Research has shown air purifiers can help minimise the spread of harmful airborne contaminates. We believe that the addition of air purifiers with HEPA filters into classrooms will also bring confidence that the right precautious are being taken as we get into the rhythm of our new normal.”
The Minister for Education in Victoria, James Merlino MP, said, “I know Victorian families can’t wait to see their kids back in the classroom — but we need to keep them safe once they’re there, and we’re delivering ventilation devices to prevent as much transmission on school sites as possible.
The efficacy of portable air purifiers has been independently verified by University of Melbourne research, since published in The Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change. Since WHO’s last 2005 global update, there has been a marked increase of evidence that shows how air pollution affects different aspects of health. For that reason, and after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, WHO has adjusted almost all the AQGs levels downwards, warning that exceeding the new air quality guideline levels is associated with significant risks to health. At the same time, however, adhering to them could save millions of lives.
Every year, exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths and result in the loss of millions more healthy years of life. In children, this could include reduced lung growth and function, respiratory infections and aggravated asthma. In adults, ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the most common causes of premature death attributable to outdoor air pollution, and evidence is also emerging of other effects such as diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions. This puts the burden of disease attributable to air pollution on a par with other major global health risks such as unhealthy diet and tobacco smoking.
MJA Insight Plus. Wood heaters: lung cancer risk equivalent to passive smoking, 9 August 2021.
A FAILURE to adequately regulate or replace wood heaters in Australia despite their major contribution to air pollution is costing lives and money, a growing number of studies suggest.
Professor Fay Johnston, a public health specialist and author on both the Armidale and Launceston studies, told InSight+:
“We really need concerted federal, state and local government support to reduce wood heater pollution.
“There is no evidence that Australia’s main strategies of ‘public education on heater operation’ or gradual tightening of wood heater emission standards, has improved community-level air quality anywhere.
“The only interventions with good evidence for improving the air are those that reduce wood heater numbers.”
Energy and Environment - WOOD FIRED HEATERS POLLUTION. Faehrmann, Cate to the Special Minister of State, and Minister for the Public Service and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs, and the Arts representing the Minister for Energy and Environment
Question: Given the fact that there is no safe level of PM2.5 pollution, and any exposure to wood smoke PM2.5 above a daily average of 4 ug/m3 significantly increases the risk of hospital admissions for heart failure, what is the NSW government acceptable level of PM2.5 pollution increase on average per new wood fire heater?
Answer, 13 May 2021: all new wood heaters must comply with Australian emission and efficiency standards AS/NZS 2012 and AS/NZS 2013. All wood heaters must be installed in accordance with the Australian Standard for installation of wood heaters AS/NZS 2918, which requires the installation of the wood heater flue in such a manner as to prevent smoke penetration through windows or other openings of neighbouring residences.
Guardian, 20 February 2021. The research painted a picture of a group who were in some cases indifferent to the attached risks to small particle pollution, which is linked to a variety of serious heart and lung problems.
Just a third of indoor burners expressed any concern about the health impact on them or their neighbours. But while the burners are not always convinced there is a problem, a growing number have found themselves in disputes with others in their neighbourhoods – and, both sides suggest, the resulting atmosphere is decidedly chilly.
Robert Bishop, a company director from Billingshurst, is one of those whose frustrations at the growing number of puffing chimneys around him has led him to confront the issue, with a number of letters to the local paper. “Sometimes, it feels as though I am back in London, growing up in the 50s, when the smog was frequently so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face,” he wrote to the West Sussex County Times recently. “And if you think I’m exaggerating come round some evening.”
Guardian, 16 February 2021. Wood burning at home now biggest cause of UK particle pollution. Domestic wood burning has become the single biggest source of small particle air pollution in the UK, producing three times more than (all) road traffic, government data shows.Just 8% of the population cause this pollution by burning wood indoors, according to a separate government-commissioned report. It found almost half of those burning indoors were affluent and many chose a fire for aesthetic reasons, rather than heat.
Wood burners triple the level of harmful pollution particles inside homes and should be sold with a health warning, scientists warned in December. In January, experts at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation asked people to use wood burners only if they had no alternative source of heat. Prof Jonathan Grigg, of Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is difficult to justify their use in any urban area.” The current World Health Organisation limit is 15 ug/m3 (daily average). The research, published in the journal Atmosphere, showed that over just four hours, the average particle levels were between 27 and 195 ug/m3.
Wood burners triple the level of harmful pollution particles inside homes and should be sold with a health warning, scientists warned in December. In January, experts at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation asked people to use wood burners only if they had no alternative source of heat. Prof Jonathan Grigg, of Queen Mary University of London, said: “It is difficult to justify their use in any urban area.” The current World Health Organisation limit is 15 ug/m3 (daily average). The research, published in the journal Atmosphere, showed that over just four hours, the average particle levels were between 27 and 195 ug/m3.
Asthma charity pleads with Britons NOT to use wood-burning stoves this winter to prevent air pollution, Daily Mail, 2 Jan 2021. Dr Nick Hopkinson, medical director at the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership: "To protect yourself and others, especially children who are particularly vulnerable as their lungs are smaller and still developing, avoid buying a wood-burning stove or using an open fire if you have another source of fuel to cook and heat your home with."
PUBLIC WOULD SUPPORT A ‘PHASE-OUT’ OF WOODFIRE HEATERS, Asthma Australia, 18 March 2021
In a new nationally representative survey of 25,000 people completed in November 2020 Asthma Australia asked the Australian public about their attitudes to woodfire heaters and their regulation. They found most people, particularly those with asthma, support leaving woodfire heaters behind for better, healthier alternatives.
Three-quarters of the general population surveyed (77%) agree that woodfire heaters should not be allowed in urban or built-up areas and over half agree they should be phased out (55%) or banned completely (54%).
Support for regulation was even higher amongst people with asthma with 84% support for regulation of woodfire heaters in urban built-up areas, 71% support for a scheme to phase them out completely, and 65% agreeing they should be banned.
People who are exposed to woodfire heaters said they are largely unable to protect themselves from the smoke, signalling support for government regulation
Guardian, 1 January 2021. Avoid using wood burning stoves if possible, warn health experts. Campaigners and health experts are calling on people who have alternative heating not to use their wood burning stoves this winter amid growing concern about their impact on public health.
The Guardian recently reported that wood burners triple the level of harmful particulates inside the home as well as creating dangerous levels of pollution in the surrounding neighbourhood.
Now experts at Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation are asking people with wood burners only to use them if they have no alternative source of heat. “We know that burning wood and coal releases fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – the most worrying form of air pollution for human health,” said Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy at the charity. “It’s therefore important to consider less polluting fuel options to heat your home or cook with, especially if coal or wood is not your primary fuel source.”
Guardian, 11 October 2018. People burning wet wood on inefficient stoves 'poisoning themselves'. The IPPR study highlights the “shocking contribution” domestic wood and coal fires make to the UK’s air pollution crisis, which causes 40,000 early deaths a year and devastating health problems for hundreds of thousands of others. The study points out that burning wood, coal or other solid fuels in the home is the largest single contributor to production of the most dangerous pollutant, known as particulate matter: tiny particles that penetrate deep into the body.
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