Cyprus Mail 13 February 2020 - article by Annette Chrysostomou
Modern fireplaces heat up more and pollute less than standard open fireplaces
People should install modern fireplaces and burn untreated wood to reduce air pollution, head of the labour department’s air quality section Chrysanthos Savvides said on Wednesday.
Pollution in Cyprus towns peaks in the morning because of traffic and in the evening because of the use of fireplaces and heating.
“The highest pollutants from November to February are measured between 7pm and 10pm because of residential heating,” Savvides said.
Using fireplaces is worse than central heating, the air quality expert said.
“Fuel oil is less polluting than wood. Unfortunately, because it is cheaper, a lot of people still use fireplaces.”
If they do burn wood, people can minimise the pollution by using untreated wood which does not contain harmful chemicals, and install a modern, closed fireplace instead of an open one, he explained.
Modern fireplaces heat up more and pollute less than standard open fireplaces.
The modern fireplace has a firebox closed with tempered glass and the heat produced inside it, rather than being dissipated in the chimney, is recovered through special solutions and introduced again into the home through air vents.
The high pollution levels do not mean a violation of the limit set by the European Union and World Health Organisation, which states that daily levels of particulate matter (PM10) should not exceed 50µg/m3.
“At peak times the levels are higher, but overall during the day they are within the limits,” Savvides said.
PM10, also known as respirable particulate matter, is a complex mixture of soot, smoke, metals, nitrates, sulphates, dust water and rubber and others.
