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Health impacts of anthropogenic biomass burning in the developed world.

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Author

  • Torben Sigsgaard
  • Bertil Forsberg
  • Isabella Annesi-Maesano
  • Anders Blomberg
  • Anette Bølling
  • Christoffer Boman
  • Jakob Bønløkke
  • Michael Brauer
  • Nigel Bruce
  • Marie-Eve Héroux
  • Maija-Riitta Hirvonen
  • Frank Kelly
  • Nino Künzli
  • Bo Lundbäck
  • Hanns Moshammer
  • Curtis Noonan
  • Joakim Pagels
  • Gerd Sallsten
  • Jean-Paul Sculier
  • Bert Brunekreef
Show all

Summary, in English

Climate change policies have stimulated a shift towards renewable energy sources such as biomass. The economic crisis of 2008 has also increased the practice of household biomass burning as it is often cheaper than using oil, gas or electricity for heating. As a result, household biomass combustion is becoming an important source of air pollutants in the European Union.This position paper discusses the contribution of biomass combustion to pollution levels in Europe, and the emerging evidence on the adverse health effects of biomass combustion products.Epidemiological studies in the developed world have documented associations between indoor and outdoor exposure to biomass combustion products and a range of adverse health effects. A conservative estimate of the current contribution of biomass smoke to premature mortality in Europe amounts to at least 40 000 deaths per year.We conclude that emissions from current biomass combustion products negatively affect respiratory and, possibly, cardiovascular health in Europe. Biomass combustion emissions, in contrast to emissions from most other sources of air pollution, are increasing. More needs to be done to further document the health effects of biomass combustion in Europe, and to reduce emissions of harmful biomass combustion products to protect public health.

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

1577-1588

Publication/Series

European Respiratory Journal

Volume

46

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

European Respiratory Society

Topic

  • Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
  • Environmental Sciences

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1399-3003