Global Action Plan Webinar: Protecting public health from the harms of wood burning pollution
News
On 14th January, Global Action Plan brought together health experts, local authorities and campaigners ahead of Clean Air Night to explore how air pollution from wood burning harms everyone’s health.
Plans were discussed for Clean Air Night which returns for a second year on 22 January 2025 to spark even more conversations about the health harms of wood burning.
A range of expert speakers presented, including Clean Air Programme Champion, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate of the University of Southampton, Dr Mark Miller of the University of Edinburgh, Dr Rohit Chakraborty representing UKHSA, and general practitioner Dr Naomi Adelson.
Professor Stephen Holgate shared the effects of air pollution from burning on the respiratory system. He explained the contribution wood burning makes to fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) in the UK, and how this type of air pollution can affect the lungs – including causing irritation and inflammation, increased risk of infection, reduced lung function, and increased symptoms in asthma, COPD and other lung diseases.
He also shared evidence on the link between PM2.5 and lung cancer, sharing that wood fuel users have a 20% higher risk of lung cancer than non-solid fuel users.
Dr Mark Miller went on to discuss the impacts of air pollution and woodsmoke on heart health. He highlighted that 70% of air pollution deaths are due to cardiovascular causes, and outlined the range of cardiovascular issues that air pollution from woodsmoke can cause, including heart attacks, stroke, and heart failure.
He concluded that the cardiovascular effects of air pollution are substantial, and more research and awareness is needed on the health effects of wood burning.
Next, Dr Rohit Chakraborty, Environmental Public Health Scientist at the UKHSA shared a broader picture of the health impacts of wood burning and gave a preview of an upcoming report that will synthesise epidemiological and toxicological findings to provide an integrated understanding of the health impacts of wood and solid fuel burning.
He also discussed how we can turn this evidence into action, exploring the findings from research into public health interventions surrounding wood burning, such as ‘burn alerts’ or ‘no burn days’.
Finally, Dr Naomi Adelson shared her experiences of dealing with air pollution in a clinical setting as a GP in London. She highlighted the challenges with air pollution often being an invisible problem, and the benefits to the NHS of reducing PM2.5.
She also shared thoughts on what healthcare staff can do to tackle air pollution, and encouraged others to raise awareness with both colleagues and patients.
Presentations
| Professor Sir Stephen Holgate | Effects of air pollution & PM2.5 from burning on the respiratory system |
| Dr Mark Miller | Air pollution, woodsmoke and heart health |
| Dr Rohit Chakraborty | Clean Air, Clean Choice – Domestic wood burning: From health impact evidence to intervention |
| Dr Naomi Adelson | Wood burning/PM2.5 – clinical implications |
Want to share the facts about how wood burning impacts everyone’s health? Get involved this Clean Air Night by sharing the resources in the Global Action Plan communications pack.