Summer is over and the chilly nights are upon us. You may be getting ready to fire up your wood stove or fireplace as you settle in for the winter. Before you do, however, take a moment to learn about temperature inversions, air quality burn bans, and how to get the most out of your fire while protecting your health.
Poor air quality can result in a burn ban
During the winter, a weather pattern called an inversion can trap stagnant air and unhealthy wood smoke close to the ground.
If air quality reaches unhealthy levels, an air quality burn ban may be called by your local clean air agency, Ecology, or tribes. Check for an air quality burn ban in your area at ecology.wa.gov/burnbans or waburnbans.net.
Air quality burn bans have two stages:
- Stage 1 burn ban
- No use of uncertified wood stoves or fireplaces is allowed.
- No outdoor burning, agricultural, or forest burning is allowed.
- Stage 2 burn ban
- No burning indoors or outdoors is allowed.
Air quality burn bans do not apply if wood is your only source of heat.
Only burn dry, seasoned wood
Dry, seasoned wood provides up to 44 percent more heat than fresh cut or wet wood. Not only does that save you money, it creates less smoke and air pollution. Follow these tips to get the most out of your fire:
- Split your wood as soon as you get it.
- Stack your wood so it has airflow.
- Season your wood for at least 6 months.
- Cover your wood to keep it out of rain and snow.
A good burning fire should have minimal smoke coming out of the chimney and should be easy to see through. Filling your stove up with wood doesn’t make a fire hotter - by overfilling your stove, you rob the fire of oxygen, thereby producing less heat, wasting wood, and creating more unhealthy smoke.
Use the right wood stove for your home
Ecology regulates the types of wood burning devices that can be sold, resold, exchanged, or given away. These devices must meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington’s stricter certification standards. Use a stove that is certified in Washington, the right size for your home, and properly installed. Never install, sell, or even give away a non-certified wood stove.
If your stove isn’t certified, you should replace it, or consider switching to a natural gas or electric device. Check with your local clean air agency for grant programs to help offset the costs of replacing a wood stove with a certified model, or switching your heat source altogether.
Health effects from wood smoke
Wood smoke is one of the main sources of air pollution in Washington and can cause health problems for everyone. Wood stoves, fireplaces, and other wood burning devices put out hundreds of times more air pollution than other sources of heat, such as natural gas or electricity. The smoke and soot from burning wood contains fine particles and harmful gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and organic compounds. The particles are so small that they lodge deep in your lungs when inhaled and can cause serious health problems, including:
- Burning eyes
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Respiratory infections
- Asthma attacks
- Bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer
- Irregular heart beat
- Heart attacks and cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
Kids, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with existing lung or heart diseases are the most sensitive to air pollution. Households that burn wood for heat are at greater risk for respiratory illnesses. Learn more about how wood smoke harms your health.
Now that you are prepared, go ahead and make some hot chocolate, break out your fuzzy slippers and have a movie marathon night in front of your nice, safe, warm fire.
By Kim Vaughn / Air Quality
(This is the third post of a three-part series.)
In parts one and two of this blog series we discussed Washington’s air pollution history and how pollutants affect public health and the environment.
Clean air acts nationwide have lowered harmful levels air pollution over the past 50 years and now we all need to do our part to protect the future of our air.
Because Washington’s population is on the rise there is a demand for more fuel, housing, food, and transportation. All of these needs impact the air we breathe.
Here are a few things you can do to minimize your contribution to air pollution:
Buy local
The less time products spend on a ship, train, or semi-truck the less air pollution is created. Consider ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, and reconsider where your items originate from. Buying local also supports small businesses and creates jobs. We all win when you buy local!
Burn wood the right way
You should only burn dry wood that has been split, stacked, and stored for at least a year. Dry wood emits less smoke and makes a hotter fire. You should be able to easily see through the smoke coming from your chimney. If you buy wood, ask if it has been properly seasoned. Properly dried and aged wood burns more efficient and saves you money!
Use an adequate wood burning device
During winter we often have stagnant air that traps smoke near the ground. Heating your home with a wood burning device can increase your family’s risk of lung and breathing problems.
Wood burning devices include:
• Wood stoves.
• Pellet stoves.
• Wood furnaces.
• Manufactured fireplaces.
• Masonry heaters.
Only certified wood burning devices are legal to purchase, sell, or give away in this state, whether new or used. They must meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington standards. If it doesn’t, check with your local air authority for grant programs to help replace your old stove, or better yet, switch to electric heat! Many electric companies offer grants to help convert your house to electric heat.
Only burn vegetation
Never burn anything other than vegetation. Check for burn bans before you start a fire and keep something nearby to extinguish it. For campfires, be sure to put them out completely and never leave them unattended. Everybody loves a good fire, but the smoke shouldn’t annoy your neighbor.
Construction debris, garbage, and scraps from another property are illegal to burn. Use of burn barrels is illegal too.
Reconsider burning altogether
There are many alternatives to burning yard waste. When mowing, leave grass clippings where they land. They provide nutrients for your lawn. Start making your own garden compost, or check with your community for free yard waste drop off days. The less you burn, the cleaner the air.
Use alternative transportation
Vehicles are one of the main sources of air pollution in Washington.
You can help reduce emissions by participating in the following:
• Share a ride with others, carpool, or take a bus.
• Ride your bike. Your heart will thank you!
• Don’t let your car idle.
• Consider being the first on your block to buy a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV).
ZEVs, or electric vehicles, are gaining in popularity and the savings to your pocketbook, health, and environment add up quick. Imagine not having to get an oil change or stop and pay for gas!
Charging an electric vehicle is getting easier too! There is a significant effort to build the infrastructure to support the use of electric vehicles.
For example: the West Coast Electric Highway is an extensive network of electric vehicle (EV) DC fast charging stations located every 25 to 50 miles along Interstate 5 and other major roadways in the Pacific Northwest. Planning your trip just got easier with this map of Washington charging stations.
If you are heading outside the Pacific Northwest you can check out the Department of Energy maps of electric vehicle charging stations and alternative fueling locations nationwide.
Dispose of chemicals responsibly
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) contribute to ground-level ozone formation because they evaporate into the air. You can learn more about ground-level ozone in part two of this series.
Check with your local landfill or visit Ecology’s website to find a proper disposal facility.
Some common VOCs are:
• Acetone (nail polish remover, furniture polish, wallpaper).
• Benzene (glue, paint, carpet, gasoline emissions).
• Butanal (barbeque emissions, burning candles, stoves, cigarettes).
• Carbon disulfide (chlorinated tap water).
• Dichlorobenzene (mothballs, deodorizers).
• Ethanol (glass cleaners, dishwasher and laundry detergents).
• Formaldehyde (floor lacquers, some molded plastics).
• Terpene (fragrances such as soap and detergents).
• Toluene (paint).
• Xylene (traffic emissions, idling cars).
Clean energy
Concerns about climate change, the use of fossil fuels, and air pollution are accelerating clean energy development. Did you know that approximately two-thirds of Washington’s electric is generated from hydropower? Washington also ranks as one of the top nationwide producers of wind power. It’s also becoming more popular and affordable to use solar power for your home needs.
Check with your local utility provider or find a clean energy non-profit group for possible incentives or grants.
Doing our part
The federal Clean Air Act requires states to develop plans to monitor and reduce air pollution to protect the environment and public health. The EPA sets national standards, or limits, for six criteria air pollutants called the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. We discussed some of these in part two of this series.
The six criteria air pollutants are:
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Ozone
• Particle pollution
• Sulfur dioxide
• Carbon monoxide
• Lead
It is each state’s responsibility to monitor the air and make sure they are meeting the national standards. If air pollution reaches levels that harm human health, the state must develop a plan to clean up the air. These plans are known as State Implementation Plans.
Ecology and its partners continue to work together to monitor and create rules that help maintain healthy air quality in Washington.
We will continue to work to “protect clean air, public health, and the environment,” we hope you will too.
Look for your local air authority at community events, on Facebook, Instagram or visit their websites for more information.
Part I: We’ve come a long way baby … celebrating 50 years of the Clean Air Act
Part 2: The best solution is less pollution … 50 years of the Clean Air Act
By Kim Allen | Air Quality
wacleanair50.org
