The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has urged the government to phase out wood burners in urban areas as they become the biggest source of harmful air pollution in the UK
Doctors have issued a stark warning, calling for wood burners to be banned in city homes amid growing concern for young children’s health.
According to The Times, leading child health experts are urging the removal of these burners as they identify air pollution as one of the top dangers to youngsters under five.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has put pressure on the government with a plea to “phaseout domestic wood burning in urban areas, assist rural residents to transition away from wood as a primary heating source and support those in fuel poverty with fuel cost assistance”.
Dr Emily Parker, a clinical fellow at the RCPCH, has been quoted: “I see the impacts of air pollution on children during almost every shift…that’s why we’re calling on the government to tackle the top causes of PM2.5 [particulate matter] and nitrogen dioxide, the two air pollutants that are most harmful to children’s health. Air pollution limits across the UK are currently set dangerously high, often at four times WHO [World Health Organisation] guidelines.”
Adding his voice, Dr Michael McKean, RCPCH vice president for policy, expressed deep concern: “Breathing dirty air as a child irreversibly stunts lung growth and continues to affect lung capacity in adulthood; in some cases it can even result in death.”
What’s more, the RCPCH stated its endorsement for both Ella’s law and Awaab’s law to pass through parliament.
Two tragic cases – nine year old Ella Roberta Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who died in 2013 due to asthma worsened by London’s air pollution, and two year old Awaab Ishak, who passed away in 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his Rochdale home – have highlighted the urgent need for improved air quality. The college is calling for the adoption of WHO air-quality guidelines to prevent such tragedies.
The growing trend of using wood burners in UK homes has led to them becoming the largest source of PM2.5, a highly hazardous air pollutant, accounting for 27% of PM2.5 emissions in 2021 – surpassing even car emissions.
In response, a government spokesperson assured The Times that they are dedicated to “cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harm of pollution” and are working on a strategy to establish legally binding targets for enhancing air quality.
