There's a downside to warming up in winter in front of the indoor fireplace or braai: harmful airborne particles that can cause health problems when inhaled.
Some of these particles can settle in the lungs while others can enter the bloodstream, according to an exploratory study by researchers from Stellenbosch University's faculty of engineering published in Energy Research & Social Science.
Researchers said while various studies raised concern about poor indoor air quality in informal settlements, where indoor fires are necessary for heating, its impact in formal housing — where fireplaces and indoor braais are commonly used as amenities — had not been investigated.
“Our results show the levels of harmful substances released during indoor fireplace use exceeded the recommended guidelines and standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said PhD candidate Rita van der Walt from the university's department of electrical and electronic engineering.
“The WHO recommends prolonged exposure to these small particles for no more than three days in a year.
Cosying up to the indoor fireplace? Researchers say airborne particles can damage health
Image: 123RF/sonjachnyj
There's a downside to warming up in winter in front of the indoor fireplace or braai: harmful airborne particles that can cause health problems when inhaled.
Some of these particles can settle in the lungs while others can enter the bloodstream, according to an exploratory study by researchers from Stellenbosch University's faculty of engineering published in Energy Research & Social Science.
Researchers said while various studies raised concern about poor indoor air quality in informal settlements, where indoor fires are necessary for heating, its impact in formal housing — where fireplaces and indoor braais are commonly used as amenities — had not been investigated.
“Our results show the levels of harmful substances released during indoor fireplace use exceeded the recommended guidelines and standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said PhD candidate Rita van der Walt from the university's department of electrical and electronic engineering.
“The WHO recommends prolonged exposure to these small particles for no more than three days in a year.
“Prolonged exposure [months to years] to finer substances has been associated with early deaths, particularly among individuals with chronic heart or lung conditions, and stunted lung function growth in children.”
Researchers used sensing devices placed on counters and tables near fireplaces in homes to measure the concentration of tiny particles in the air every 11 minutes — a total of 130 times daily.
“Our results suggest the 24-hour average concentration of tiny particles often exceeds the WHO’s recommended limit of 15mcg/m³. If you were to split a grain of table salt into four equal parts, one part would weigh 15mcg,” said Van der Walt.
“The daily average exposure to these particles showed that in all households measured particle levels remained above the recommended limit for a long time after fireplace use. The results indicated periods ranging from slightly less than an hour to more than three hours of high exposure.
“The concentrations of these substances are only marginally higher for open fireplaces than enclosed ones.”
TimesLIVE
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