I appreciate wood burning fires are a source of air pollution. I’m not sure they poison people who have fires. My working class dad bought cheap, well seasoned wood when we were kids and regularly burned a fire in the grate in Winter. None of us appeared to suffer as the smoke went up the chimney.
Always had open fires as a kid....over the years room paint would become stained brown with tar residue, though it was impossible to see.. Smogs in cities before the clean air act showed how high concentrations could become
Air pollution is a real problem. My dad never used coal, unlike my Granny, he only used well seasoned logs, which he chopped into quarters himself. There was very little smoke in the living room so the walls were not discoloured.
Just saying even seasoned logs, while being cleaner, will produce tars. It is why chimneys need sweeping on a regular basis I grew up around places with open fire both wood, wood and coal and coal. I love them, but I understand they are not good for air quality Around Stroud get smog in valleys
I’m not suggesting we should have wood fires now, but if you do it properly a wood fire shouldn’t cause health problems within the house. The chimney will need sweeping. We had a chimney fire once, so I guess they forgot to get the chimney cleaned in time that year.
I believe that even wood burners with closed doors still leave a very pronounced effect on the air quality in a home... I suppose inside a home is that persons choice. As with any Fossil Fuel burning, the pollution caused outside the home and creating problems for wider society means regulation
Wood burners at bottom of five valleys is a particular form of stupidity.
I presume as well that the particulates would be slightly heavier and tend to descend from those up slope... It is most strking on those clear frosty mornings, no air movement, but the valley floor is 'foggy' while from halfway upslope it is quite beautiful...just unfortunate for the lower pop!
It depends to some extent on the population density too, and that’s much greater now than it used to be in many rural and semi rural areas.
Reminded of my dad talking of fog/pollution trapping around Wolverhampton and walking (as too dense to see/drive) up to home which was on escapement on edge of town.
We lived near the top of a hill, perhaps that helped with the air pressure.