High concentrations of ultrafine dust in living rooms with wood-burning stove

‘Research in four houses with wood stove’

While using a wood-burning stove, large amounts of particulate matter and ultrafine dust are released into living rooms. This is according to a citizen science project by Utrecht University. Researcher Fleur Froeling: "Although this study was carried out among a small group, we see that over three times more ultrafine dust is present in a home when the wood stove is on."

For this study, four homes were fitted with a measurement backpack, equipped with advanced measuring instruments: a particulate and ultrafine dust meter.

Long-term high concentrations

A significant increase in particulate matter and ultrafine dust was measured in all homes when a stove was turned on. There is 3.7 times more ultrafine dust in a home when the stove is on compared to when the stove is off. After the stove is turned on, high concentrations are present in the house for a long time, which slowly decrease after the stove is turned off again. 

Health complaints

Burning wood releases particulate matter and ultrafine dust. Ultrafine dust is so small that it can penetrate far into the lungs and reach the organs via the blood. Long-term exposure to (ultra)fine dust can potentially lead to health problems, such as asthma in children and COPD in the elderly. 

1 million wood-burning stoves and fireplaces

The measurements in this small group of homes show that burning wood leads to air pollution in the home.  The results of the study are potentially relevant for many Dutch citizens: according to RIVM, there are about 1 million wood-burning stoves and open fireplaces in the Netherlands. You can read the detailed results in the research report (in Dutch only).

Leak in pipe connection

One of the wood-burning stoves measured extremely high levels of particulate matter. It turned out that there was a leak in the pipe connection of the wood stove, which probably occurred while cleaning the stove. In practice, a small leak in the connection of a wood stove can go unnoticed for years.