Ban on fires and removing chimneys from homes ‘not extreme’

Ban on fires and removing chimneys from homes ‘not extreme’

Ireland was above World Health Organization air quality guidelines for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and ozone at 52 monitoring sites across the country last year, according to the most recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency. File Picture

Banning fire burning at home and preventing and removing chimneys from homes may seem radical, but could make a huge difference in the overall health of the nation.

That is according to one of Ireland's foremost experts on air quality, professor emeritus of chemistry at UCC John Sodeau, who likened the concept to the smoking ban of 2004 that seemed unlikely to catch the public imagination at the time, but subsequently became a major public health success.

Prof Sodeau blasted the Department of the Environment for its 'ABC' public awareness campaign on lighting fires at home.

The ABC campaign is around three pillars:

A – Ask if a fire is necessary and use other cleaner heating sources instead if possible; 

B – Burn cleaner, more efficient, low smoke fuels; and 

C – Clean and maintain your chimneys and heating appliances at least once a year.

Prof Sodeau described the campaign as "facile", telling the Irish Examiner that any burning of fuel should be discouraged, especially from the Government.

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, as well as wood, are said to be extremely harmful for health and the environment, producing particulate matter which escalates a range of diseases and conditions.

Particulate matter is said to be all solid and liquid particles suspended in air, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets.

John Sodeau, professor emeritus of Chemistry at UCC, says any burning of fuel should be discouraged.
John Sodeau, professor emeritus of Chemistry at UCC, says any burning of fuel should be discouraged.

Ireland was above World Health Organization air quality guidelines for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and ozone at 52 monitoring sites across the country last year, according to the most recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Poor air quality causes 1,300 needlessly premature deaths in Ireland through the likes of respiratory problems, data show.

Prof Sodeau said: "I don't accept the premise that fires at home can be anything other than harmful, whether using less smoky fuel or not. The department should not be promoting that premise. 

"Most homes have some form of central heating that should be used for heating, not fires of any kind. Burning solid fuel can never be in any way good."

The banning of chimneys on new builds or blocking up existing chimneys on existing homes should not be seen as extreme, according to Prof Sodeau.

However, he cautioned that there is anecdotal evidence of people buying new homes without chimneys subsequently bashing holes in their properties in order to put in a flue for a wood stove.

"That seems to me swapping a problem over from the likes of coal to another fuel like wood, which in many ways is worse."

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