ITV This Morning doctor's urgent 'toxic' log burner warning to two high risk groups
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ITV This Morning doctor's urgent 'toxic' log burner warning to two high risk groups
Wood-burning stoves can have a direct affect on the lungs of babies, children and adults due to the air particle pollution they emit.
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10:27, Thu, Mar 2, 2023
| UPDATED:
11:34, Thu, Mar 2, 2023
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Dr Philippa Kaye has raised the alarm over log burners
(Image: Getty )
A famous TV doctor has raised the alarm over wood-burning stoves due to the lethal impacts the heating source can have on the health of children and adults. Dr Philippa Kaye, who is regularly seen on ITVs Good Morning, told Express.co.uk in an exclusive interview that the harmful air pollution released from toxic wood-burning stoves is good reason to avoid buying one.
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It comes after studies revealed that home burning of solid fuel (wood and coal) is now estimated to produce around 39 of the particle pollution (PM2.5) emitted in the UK, even more than that from road transport. This makes it the largest single source of PM2.5 pollution in the UK.
This type of pollution has been linked to a large number of health problems ranging from heart failure and lung problems to dementia and mental illness in children. Particle air pollution has also been linked with around 29,000 attributable deaths annually in Britain.
Dr Kaye told
Express.co.uk
: Wood burning stoves can have a direct effect on the lungs of babies, children, adults, everybody. That is even worse if what you put in it is not properly treated wood.
Having an occasional fire is one thing. But if it is your main source of heat energy and it is every day in the winter months, and during those winter months you also have your windows and doors shut because its cold and your house is not ventilated and you might have other issues like damp and mould which also have an impact on the lungs, the combination of things can be dangerous.
Wood burners cause toxic air pollution
(Image: Getty )
"We tend to think of pollution as something that is outside, but it can be something that is inside as well.
And she warned that the younger you are, the greater the risk can be, particularly for babies.
Dr Kaye said: It is something I would be considering when we think about babies in particular and how much they spend inside - what can you do to decrease risk? It could be looking at damp and mould, your wood-burning stove, all those things can affect the lungs.
Babies airwaves are smaller, their immune systems are still developing and they spend a lot of time at home and sleeping. Babies and young children are most at risk, but then people at the other end of life are at risk too.
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'Wood burning stoves can have a direct affect on the lungs of babies, children, adults, everybody'
(Image: Getty )
Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 10:27 am