Health effects assessment of exposure to particles from wood smoke

Based on an extensive literature survey the reports concludes that particles from wood smoke should be considered as harmful to health and that effects from these particles can not be considered as less severe compared to ambient air particles in general or diesel particles. In DK there is about 551,000 wood stoves and 48,000 wood boilers and the particle emission from these sources make up the most dominant source of particle emission in DK. It is estimated that this emission contributes to an annual increased PM2.5 level of 0.6 microgram/m³. From the dose-response relationships used by the WHO and EU it can be estimated that this increased level is associated with an annual increase in mortality of about 200 extra deaths, about 160 extra cases of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases, and about 60 new cases of chronic bronchitis in the DK.