A few facts about air pollution, PM 2.5 is very detrimental to health. Woodstove emissions are made up of approximately 80 to 90 per cent PM 2.5.
Wood burning accounts for 97 per cent of the PM2.5 emissions associated with heating in B.C. and only accounts for 10 per cent of heating needs.
The three Purple Air monitors in Parksville have so far shown very high levels of pollution caused entirely from wood stoves.
The fact is, even newer wood stoves produce more PM 2.5 per year then 1,000 cars, and that is if they are operated as the manufacturer intended, which of course few are.
There are many peer-reviewed studies about adverse health effects of particulate matter including premature death, as low as 10-20 ug/m3. One monitor in town has recorded a level of 442 ug/m3, to put that into perspective China called its first Red Alert at a level of 291ug/m3. No one should be exposed to this level of air pollution simply because of living beside one who has chosen to heat with wood.
Fact, newer wood stoves were found to emit even more carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene than the traditional stoves.
Bill Lewin
Parksville
