Woodburners 'worse than Sheffield incinerator' for air pollution - claim

A clean air campaigner has set up an exhibition that shows trendy woodburners cause more pollution than Sheffield’s incinerator.
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Graham Turnbull has set up 28 coloured lights linked to sensors across the city in a room above the EE shop on The Moor. They respond in real time to tiny PM2.5 particles produced by burning, he says. The bulbs are blue where the air is clear but change to green, orange, red and finally purple where pollution is worst.

Mr Turnbull says suburban sensors turn purple when people get home and light fires. In contrast, the incinerator in the city centre must meet strict pollution standards.

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He said: “The incinerator is insignificant for particles, it has an array of electrostatic scrubbers and filters. You don’t have that in Meersbrook. People are amazed, but air quality is worse in the suburbs because of unfiltered burning, even kiln dried wood.”

Graham Turnbull has suspended 28 coloured lights in a room above the EE phone shop on The Moor and each one is linked to sensors on buildings across the city.Graham Turnbull has suspended 28 coloured lights in a room above the EE phone shop on The Moor and each one is linked to sensors on buildings across the city.
Graham Turnbull has suspended 28 coloured lights in a room above the EE phone shop on The Moor and each one is linked to sensors on buildings across the city.

The exhibition is Mr Turnbull’s latest attempt to raise awareness of the problem. The founder of Clean Air for Sheffield, he wants to change attitudes to burning wood - long touted as an environmentally-friendly and renewable fuel. Five years ago he says he was a lone voice, often ridiculed on social media. But today people are much more aware.

Of the exhibition, he added: “I enjoy taking visitors through it. More and more people are making the link between air pollution and their health.”

PM2.5 particles from burning are made of carbon and chemicals and can pass through the lungs and into the body. They have been linked to health problems including asthma, COPD and cancer, according to the British Lung Foundation. Domestic wood burning is the biggest source of this pollution in the UK, producing three times more than road traffic, government data shows.

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About eight per cent of the population have wood burners, with some people claiming it is cheaper than gas and electricity because bills have soared.

They respond in real time to tiny particles called PM2.5s, which are produced by burning. The bulbs are blue where the air is clear but change to green, orange, red and finally purple where the pollution is worse.They respond in real time to tiny particles called PM2.5s, which are produced by burning. The bulbs are blue where the air is clear but change to green, orange, red and finally purple where the pollution is worse.
They respond in real time to tiny particles called PM2.5s, which are produced by burning. The bulbs are blue where the air is clear but change to green, orange, red and finally purple where the pollution is worse.

Mr Turnbull refutes this. He added: “I would challenge anyone to show me a source of kiln dried wood that’s cheaper than gas for the same heat output. People pull things from skips and burn them and say it’s free. But it's not free for the health of your neighbours.”

The exhibition is at 2-4 Matilda Street, 11am-3pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-3pm Saturday February 11.