Wood Smoke: Environmental Pollution and Its Health Implications
It is wrong to assume that wood smoke is harmless . Smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, burn fires and so on form a major part in air pollution problems. This is because wood smoke contains particles and gases that have the potential of causing serious health problems when they are breathed. These gases contain toxic chemicals that can irritate the respiratory track and may even cause cancer. In environments where wood is burned, they are bound to be higher levels of indoor smoke and more environmental pollutants in form of particles and gases. Also, smoke from wood stoves can seep into houses where wood stoves are not used.