Cancer Risk from Residential Wood Burning

Wood stove/fireplace usage is associated with 70% higher incidence of lung cancer. 

Burning wood can release pollutants into the air we breathe, especially when poor burning techniques and wood burning appliances are used. Breathing in wood smoke can cause increased respiratory symptoms, increased hospital admissions, exacerbation of asthma and COPD, and decreased your ability to breathe normally. If you have a lung disease, breathing in wood smoke can make your disease worst and cause a flare-up.
Environment Canada and Health Canada have identified many hazardous chemical substances in wood smoke, including:

• PM2.5, which consists of a mixture of microscopic particles of varied size and composition, has been declared a toxic substance under the Environmental Protection Act.
• Carbon Monoxide (CO) – can reduce the blood’s ability to supply necessary oxygen to the body’s tissues, which can cause stress to the heart.
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) – can lower the resistance to lung infections.
• Hydrocarbons (HC) – can damage the lungs.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – can cause respiratory irritation and illness. Formaldehyde – can cause coughing, headaches and eye irritation and act as a trigger for people with asthma.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – Prolonged exposure to PAH’s is believed to pose a cancer risk.
• Dioxins and furans- Some dioxins and furans are carcinogenic.
• Acrolein – can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation.