News.

® At this time of year, the frosty
chill in the air sends many British
Columbians indoors to snuggle up
to warm, cozy fires; but they often
don’t realize that residential wood
buming is a growing air pollution
problem, according to the British
Columbia Lung Association.
“Many people mistakenly
believe that heating their homes
with wood is more natural and
therefore better for the environ-
ment. Nothing could be farther
from the truth,” declares BCLA
executive director Scott McDon-
ald.

“Wood smoke carries some 100
chemical compounds and’ organic
pollutants — including carbon
monoxide and other gases, as well
as small dust and soot particles.
These substances are harmful to
health, irritating eye and lung tis-
sue and contributing to respiratory
disease and cancer.”

McDonald adds that children
face greater risks from long term
exposure to wood smoke because
their lungs and airways are still
developing.

The problem is especially severe
in the province’s valley communi-
ties where dense smoke is trapped
at ground level, where people live
and breathe; by temperature inver-
sions. These atmospheric condi-
tions occur when cold air acts as a
lid to keep smoke and warm air
from rising and dissipating.

The lung association offers
these guidelines for cleaner, more
efficient burning to those commit-
ted to residential wood heating.

Select the mght stove. A stove
that is too large for the space to be
heated will require more damping

Hot tips to clear the air of
unhealthy wood smoke

to maintain comfortable tempera-
tures, thus producing more smoke
and air pollution. Use stoves certi-
fied by Underwnters Laboratories’
of Canada.

Use only clean, dry wood. Never
burn green, wet, painted or treated
wood such as plywood, pre-
ssboard, railway ties or utility
poles because they produce smoke
containing chemicals and other
pollutants. Avoid wet wood
because it bums inefficiently and
releases particles into the air.

Keep fires hot and small. Use
dry kindling to start the fire, and
add larger pieces of wood only as
required to maintain comfortable
temperatures.

Avoid burning on bad days.
Don’t produce wood smoke when
temperature inversions are in place
and may already be causing air
quality problems by containing
smoke from slash fires, beehive
burners and other industrial

_ sources.

Consider cleaner fuels. Think
about switching from wood to
alternative, cleaner-burning resi-
dential heating fuels, like natural
gas.

For more information on resi-
dential wood burning, contact the
lung association. Call toll-free
from the Saanich Peninsula and
other areas to 1-800-665-LUNG.

A voluntary health agency with
some 130,000 regular supporters,
BCLA funds medical research into
lung disease and conducts health
education and community service
programs across the province. It
relies almost entirely on contribu-
tions to fundraising events like the
annual Christmas Seal campaign.

TheReview Wednesday, November 14,1990 — D3

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