Using fireplaces and wood stoves increases the risk of lung cancer in women

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Scientists have found that wood-burning stoves and fireplaces pose a great health hazard. A study of 50,000 women published in the journal Environment International found a significant correlation between frequent use of wood stoves and an increased risk of lung cancer.

Burning wood in stoves or fireplaces indoors can pose significant health risks, primarily due to emissions of particulate matter and harmful substances such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds.

Burning wood releases tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. This often exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma and leads to other long-term health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified indoor emissions from wood burning as carcinogenic to humans, based on more than a dozen studies. An analysis of scientific papers conducted in higher-income countries in Europe and North America found that those who use wood indoors have a 20% higher risk of developing lung cancer.

To assess the health risks of wood burning, a group of American scientists used data collected as part of the Sister Study, a study of 50,000 women living in the United States whose sisters had breast cancer. The researchers asked whether their homes had a fireplace or wood-burning stove, and how often they used it.

The Sister Study was designed to better understand genetic and environmental risk factors for breast cancer, but it also allowed them to assess other health outcomes for women, the researchers said.

They found higher rates of lung cancer with more frequent use of wood-burning fireplaces and/or stoves in the study participants' homes, including among women who did not smoke. People who used a wood-burning stove for more than a month a year had a 68% higher risk of lung cancer than those who did not burn wood indoors.