Wood burning stoves: pollution and health impacts

Wood burning stoves remain a popular type of home heating. 

But there is increasing concern about the potential health and environmental impacts of wood burning stoves. These impacts affect the air inside the home and local neighbourhoods. 

The exact extent of these impacts remains unclear, though there have been a number of high profile research projects looking into the evidence.

If you're thinking of installing a stove, or you have a stove and want to know more, we've rounded up the facts below.

Are you allowed to use a wood-burning stove in your area? Read more about wood burning stove regulations and fines

Types of pollutant  

Wood burning stoves release two types of pollutant: gases and particulate matter.

Any appliance that burns solid fuel, such as wood burning or multifuel stoves, releases dangerous gases. These include organic gaseous compounds (OGC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2).

Stoves also release particulate matter (PM) – tiny solids or liquids that are suspended in the air. These include dirt, dust, and soot.

Some of these particles are visible to the naked eye. For example, smoke is made of visible PM, including particulates of carbon and tar. However, many types of PM are invisible.

It is clear that both of these pollutants (gases and PM) are linked to negative environmental and health outcomes. 

Are wood burning stoves bad for the environment? 

Wood burning stoves release greenhouse gases, including CO2 and NO. These gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, which contribute to global warming.

Global warming detrimentally affects the environment both directly and indirectly and has been linked to extreme weather events, rising sea levels and drought.

Wood burning stoves also release particulate matter (PM). These include particulates of carbon and tar, which are small enough to be suspended in the air.

PM can be carried by the wind and settle on the ground or the water. The impacts include:

• Making bodies of water (including lakes and streams) more acidic
• Contributing to the development of acid rain
• Depleting or changing the balance of different nutrients in soil
• Affecting environmental biodiversity

Are wood burning stoves bad for your health? 

Long-term exposure to greenhouse gases affects multiple different organs within your body, particularly those which make up the respiratory and cardiovascular systems (i.e., your lungs and heart).

However, most research into the impact of wood burning stoves has focused on the health impacts of two types of PM released during stove usage – PM2.5 and PM0.1.

‘2.5’ and ‘0.1’ refer to the diameter, in micrometres, of the particles making up the particulate matter. For context, the average human hair is about 70 micrometres in diameter. 

Due to the size of PM2.5 and PM0.1, these particles enter your lungs when they are inhaled, and then cross from your lungs into your bloodstream. 

This means they can be carried around the body and cause damage to other organs. A 2019 review of research published by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies’ Environmental Committee links the inhalation of PM to conditions including:

• Heart and lung disease
• Diabetes
• Bladder cancer
• Brittle bones
• Fertility and foetal issues 

In 2025, the University of Cambridge published a report linking exposure to PM and dementia. It suggests PM could cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the body and brain. 

What is the amount of pollutants released by wood burning stoves?

It is clear that the pollutants released by wood burning stoves are linked to negative health and environmental outcomes. 

However, to gain a complete picture of the impact of stove usage, you need to consider the amount of pollutants they release when you use them. 

Pollutants in the environment 

According to a report released in 2021 by the European Environmental Bureau, one Ecodesign-compliant wood burning stove releases the same amount of particulate matter per hour as 18 newer diesel cars or six modern heavy goods vehicles. 

In 2021, DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) released a report which found that domestic wood burning has become one of the biggest sources of PM pollution in the UK, exceeding that of road traffic. The same report found that emissions of PM2.5 from domestic wood burning increased by 124% between 2011 and 2021, to represent 21% of total PM2.5. emissions in 2021.

Similarly, a 2024 report from the University of Birmingham found that biomass burning (i.e., burning solid fuels, principally driven by burning wood in stoves and open fires), accounted for 25% of PM2.5 mass in the region. PM concentrations from wood burning were seven times higher than those observed in 2008-2010. 

Finally, a 2022 study from Imperial College London found "hotspots" of pollution in North London where there are a high concentration of wood burning stoves. This suggests that PM pollution from stoves can accumulate and settle over a neighbourhood. 

However, these studies have been criticised by the Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) and Stove Industry Alliance (SIA). HETAS is a not-for-profit organisation that provides certification to stove retailers, installers and manufacturers. The SIA is the trade industry association for the UK stove sector. 

The SIA highlighted that these figures include all domestic wood burning (e.g., including open fires) and therefore do not reflect pollution from wood burning stoves alone. 

Pollutants in the home

A 2020 study, funded by The Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, The University of Sheffield and The University of Nottingham, found that the concentration of PM2.5 in the home was almost 200% higher than normal when a wood burning stove was in use.

The concentration was between 250% and 400% higher after the stove door was opened to add more fuel. The researchers named these ‘flooding events’.

Similar results were reported in a 2025 study from the University of Surrey, which found that PM10 exposure was 200% higher in the home when an Ecodesign stove was in use than when it wasn’t. 

The SIA (the trade industry association for the UK stove sector) also responded to this and similar studies and suggested that factors including fuel quality and refuelling process all impact the volume of pollutants released by a stove, which can make it difficult to interpret the findings. 

Looking to add to your home heating? See our guides on gas stoves, electric stoves, or underfloor heating

Deciding whether to use or install a wood-burning stove

It is clear that the pollutants (gases and PM) released by wood burning stoves have negative environmental impacts. They also impact the health of the stove owner, their neighbours, and wider society. 

However, the volume of pollutants released by stoves during normal use is debated. Variation in the conclusions formed by different researchers can be attributed to differences in measurement, metrics and interpretation. 

It is ultimately up to individuals to decide whether or not you want to burn fuel at home and how, within the confines of tightening wood burning rules and regulations.

Those living in spaced-out rural communities, for example, might have different needs and consider the direct impact of burning fuel at home to be less than those in built-up urban areas. 

We wouldn't recommend installing a new wood-burning stove without seriously considering how and when you will use it, and what the health and environmental impacts will be on those in your own home and your neighbours. 

If you've already got one, it's still worth thinking about these issues when weighing up how frequently to use it. 

How to reduce the impact of your wood burning stove

If you want to continue to use a wood burner, but reduce its impact on your health and the environment, there are some simple steps you can take. 

• Burn kiln-dried or seasoned wood. The above study from the University of Surrey found that these types of fuel were associated with the lowest concentrations of PM in the home during burning. 
• Periodically open a window. The same study found that this roughly halved exposure to PM during burning. 
• Clean and maintain your stove. Ensuring that your chimney is swept at least once a year will ensure your stove is safe to use, and reduce the emissions it releases. Cleaning your stove regularly will do the same - including cleaning out the ash before or after each use. 
• Purchase a carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if your stove is releasing this poisonous gas. 
• Consider updating your stove. Older stoves are unlikely to have been made to Ecodesign specifications, and therefore likely release more pollution than modern models. When you need a new stove, opt for one that conforms to this regulation to minimise pollution.

However, it is unclear the extent to which this will reduce the pollution produced by stoves. If you are concerned about the impact of wood burning, the safest method is to avoid burning solid fuel for heat whenever possible.