“People burn in fireplaces everything they find on the street,” experts say, and record the excess of dangerous particles in the air several times over.
A significant rise in the price of energy resources does not allow many consumers to warm up, as required by the gradual cooling. Many of them heat their homes with fireplaces, burning everything that can burn. Dimosthenis Sarigiannis, professor of environmental engineering at ΑΠΘ, warns that such activities pose a great health risk:
“The data shows that the content of airborne particles has started to increase significantly, mainly due to the burning of wood. This is an important issue, especially in times of energy crisis and poverty. Burning cleaner fuels is unprofitable. If we do not burn with ordinary wood, it is much worse not only for the air outside our house, but also for the air inside our house. 50% of the outside air goes inside. In an open fireplace, a large percentage of particles pass into our home.”
According to the professor, burning large amounts of firewood in densely populated areas increases smog:
“Our measurements show that particle values are 3-4 times higher than normal, up to 8 times for fine particles, which are the most toxic. It needs attention.”
Dimofenis Sarigiannis not only sounds the alarm, but also offers a solution to the problem:
“We need energy fireplaces for those who can, and we need to lay and light wood in such a way that the fire starts from above, not from below.”
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