Communitys Wood-Heated Homes Alaska Forum on the Environment - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A Safer Hearth: Tools to Raise Awareness and Lower Risk in Your Community’s Wood-Heated Homes Alaska Forum on the Environment Tuesday, February 4 th , 2014

Today’s Topics: 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Background: A. Key Information on Factors that Affect Heating with Wood - Bob Gorman, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Leif Albertson, University of Alaska Fairbanks B. Key Information on Health Effects of Heating with Wood – Gillian Mittelstaedt, Tribal Healthy Homes Network; Ali Hamade, Alaska Division of Public Health 3. Tools that to Raise Awareness and Lower Risk 4. Insights, Questions and Resources

• “ Heating with wood …is proving to be the workhorse of residential renewable energy production.” -John Ackerly, Alliance for Green Heat G. Gawne-Mittelstaedt, Tribal Healthy Homes Northwest

• The fluctuating and high cost of fossil fuels continues to put pressure on families. December 6, 2012… August 27, 1990… G. Gawne-Mittelstaedt, Tribal Healthy Homes Northwest

substituted napthalenes 0.3-2.1 carbon monoxide 80-370 oxygenated monoaromatics 1-7 methane 14-25 total particle mass 7-30 VOCs* (C2-C7) 7-27 particulate organic carbon 2-20 aldehydes 0.6-5.4 oxygenated PAHs 0.15-1 substituted furans 0.15-1.7 Individual PAHs 10 -5 -10 -2 benzene 0.6-4.0 chlorinated dioxins 1x10 -5 -4x10 -5 alkyl benzenes 1-6 normal alkanes (C24-C30) 1x10 -3 -6x10 -3 acetic acid 1.8-2.4 sodium 3x10 -3 -2.8x10 -2 formic acid 0.06-0.08 magnesium 2x10 -4 -3x10 -3 nitrogen oxides 0.2-0.9 aluminum 1x10 -4 -2.4x10 -2 sulfur dioxide 0.16-0.24 silicon 3x10 -4 -3.1x10 -2 methyl chloride 0.01-0.04 sulfur 1x10 -3 -2.9x10 -2 napthalene 0.24-1.6 chlorine 7x10 -4 -2.1x10 -2

Over 90% of woodsmoke particles are smaller than 1 micron - behaving more like a gas than a particle. Electron micrograph of wood smoke particles. Bar = 1 μm .

“The small diameters of the primary particles provide a large surface area per mass. … Thus, carbon aggregates may act as carriers that transport toxic or biologically active compounds into the lung . (Dasch, 1982; Evans et al., 1981; Tesfaigzi et al., 2002). (Kocbach, 2008)

Woodsmoke components are detected in our bloodstream and exhaled breath within 60 seconds of inhaling it…

Wood Smoke Polluted Air Tobacco Smoke Forchhammer et al, 2012

“… wood smoke particulates were found to be more powerful than other kinds of air pollution in causing potentially cancerous changes to DNA Journal of Chemical Research in Toxicology Steffen Loft The white area shows where cancer-causing woodsmoke chemicals altered and damaged the DNA in lung cells.

A regional study showed that average fine particle levels were up to 26 percent higher in wood-burning houses compared to non-wood burning houses. Benzene levels were 29 percent higher. Average levels of cancer-causing PAHs were 300 to 500 percent higher.

An EPA study found that breathing woodsmoke during a high pollution day is the same as smoking 4 to 16 cigarettes.

Today’s Topics: 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Background: A. Key Information on Factors that Affect Heating with Wood - Bob Gorman, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Leif Albertson, University of Alaska Fairbanks B. Key Information on Health Effects of Heating with Wood – Gillian Mittelstaedt, Tribal Healthy Homes Network; Ali Hamade, Alaska Division of Public Health 3. Tools to Raise Awareness and Lower Risk 4. Insights, Questions and Resources

Chart 1: Perceived Risk of Woodsmoke Relative to Other Indoor Air Exposures 40% 35% 36% 32% 30% 25% 20% 18% 15% 14% 10% 5% 0% Less of a Concern About the Same Level of More of a Concern Significant Concern Concern

Chart 2: Perceived Health Risks Associated with Woodsmoke 90% 80% 80% 70% 64% 60% 50% 52% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% 14% 10% 0% Irritant to Eyes, Nose, Makes Asthma Worse Causes or Makes Can Cause Cancer Can Cause Heart Attacks Can Cause Strokes Lungs Infections Worse

Chart 3: Type and Frequency of Interventions Used in Villages 45% 40% 39% 35% 32% 30% 25% 20% 18% 15% 16% 14% 10% 9% 5% 0% Woodstove Change-Out Supply Cured/Dry Wood Stove Inspection and Promote Clean Burning Promote Alternative Educate Community Repair Practices Heat Sources about Hazards

Tool #1: Moisture Meter

Tool #2: Woodshed Blueprints

Tool #3: Chimney Thermometer

Tool #4: Woodstove Checklist

Tool #5: Air Filters EPA... “Air cleaning may have a useful role when used in conjunction with source control and ventilation with clean outdoor air.” http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/residair.html