Reducing wood smoke emissions
Wood smoke can be dangerous. Learn why the EPA works to reduce wood smoke pollution, and what you can do to help.
Wood smoke pollution
Smoke from wood heaters is a major cause of air pollution. Not only is a smoking fire wasting your money, but the air pollution it causes can also affect our health.
Wood smoke contains a number of noxious gases (including carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, and a range of organic compounds, some of which are toxic or carcinogenic) and fine particles, which go deep into the lungs.
If you can see or smell smoke from your wood heater then you are causing a problem for yourself, your family and your neighbours.
That's why we need to change the way we use our heaters.
The EPA has developed two short (30sec) animations as part of a council resource kit to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of wood smoke pollution and provide practical tips for wood heater owners to better operate their wood heaters.
Community concern
EPA community research has consistently found air quality is one of the most important environmental issues to NSW residents.
Wood smoke pollution from neighbouring chimneys is the source of many complaints to local councils throughout NSW.
Community members can notify their local council if they notice excessive smoke from residential chimneys. This helps councils take action to encourage householders to minimise smoke from their wood heaters or fireplaces. Where needed, local councils may consider issuing a smoke abatement notice.
Community members may do the following to assist councils to take action to address excessive smoke:
- provide visual evidence such as a video recording that clearly shows a visible plume of smoke from the chimney for a continuous period of at least 10 minutes, including a period of at least 30 seconds when the plume extends at least 10 metres from the point where the smoke is emitted from the chimney
- provide the address of the residential premises where the smoke is being emitted and the location where they took the video recording
- provide the date and time they saw the excessive smoke being emitted, including the time their observation started and finished
- note the weather conditions at the time, such as wind strength and direction
- report the excessive smoke to their local council as soon as possible after they see it as council officers can only issue a smoke abatement notice within seven days of the date the excessive smoke was observed
- be prepared to provide their local council with a written statement confirming what they saw and to attend court to give evidence if required.
If community members are not willing to provide a written statement or attend court to give evidence about excessive smoke, they should note this to the local council at first instance as this can affect how a council addresses the excessive smoke issue.
When recording a video of excessive smoke, community members should:
- take care to avoid capturing any person in the video
- not enter into or onto private property to take the video.
Regulation
Local councils are the regulatory authority responsible for dealing with woodsmoke emissions from residential properties.
Councils can issue smoke abatement notices under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act. A smoke abatement notice requires that a householder (i.e. the occupier of the residential premises) ensure that excessive smoke is not emitted from the chimney. The notice gives 21 days for any necessary improvements, maintenance or repairs to be carried out.
Wood smoke is a significant source of particle pollution, which can often be seen as a brown atmospheric haze on still, cool, winter mornings.
Table 1 shows the annual emissions contribution of domestic solid fuel combustion to total (i.e. human and natural derived sources) annual emissions of air pollutants in the Greater Metropolitan Region (GMR) and Sydney Region. Refer to Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW for a detailed description of sources, pollutants and regions.
It indicates that domestic solid fuel combustion contributes a significant proportion of many of the air pollutants listed.
Table 1 Annual emissions contribution (%) of residential wood heaters* | ||
|---|---|---|
| Air pollutant | Greater metropolitan region | Sydney region |
| 1,3-Butadiene | 20 | 21 |
| Acetaldehyde | 14 | 32 |
| Ammonia (NH3) | 4 | 5 |
| Benzene | 15 | 17 |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 6 | 16 |
| Formaldehyde | 33 | 38 |
| Isomers of xylene | 1 | 1 |
| Lead & compounds | 1 | 5 |
| Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) | <0.5 | 1 |
| Particulate matter ≤ 10 µm (PM10) | 6 | 28 |
| Particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) | 19 | 47 |
| Polychlorinated dioxins & furans (PCDD & PCDF) | 13 | 39 |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) | 32 | 35 |
| Sulfur dioxide (SO2) | <0.5 | 1 |
| Toluene | 1 | 1 |
| Total suspended particulate (TSP) | 2 | 14 |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOC) | 3 | 5 |
| *Source: Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW | ||
In the GMR, domestic solid fuel combustion contributes 6% and 19% of annual PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively. The contribution of wood smoke is highest in July, making up 18% and 44% of monthly PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively.
Figures 1 and 2 below show the average monthly emissions by sector and the contribution of domestic solid fuel combustion to total emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively in the GMR.
Figure 1: Monthly PM10 emissions in the GMR*
*Source: Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW
Figure 2: Monthly PM2.5 emissions in the GMR*
*Source: Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW
In the Sydney region, domestic solid fuel combustion contributes 28% and 47% of annual PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively. The contribution of wood smoke is highest in July, making up 57% and 75% of monthly PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively.
Figures 3 and 4 below show the average monthly emissions by sector and the contribution of domestic solid fuel combustion to total emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 particle pollution, respectively in the Sydney region.
Figure 3: Monthly PM10 emissions in the Sydney region*
*Source: Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW
Figure 4: Monthly PM2.5 emissions in the Sydney region*
*Source: Air Emissions Inventory for the Greater Metropolitan Region in NSW
In rural and regional areas in NSW where the climate is colder and wood heater ownership and usage is higher, the contribution of wood smoke to particle pollution would be higher than the GMR and Sydney region.
Weather patterns during the winter months, together with the increase in wood smoke, influence air quality.
Wind, temperature and sunlight all have an impact on the movement and dispersion of particle pollution. Temperature inversions, where pollution is trapped in a cold layer of air at ground level, can also have an impact.
The topography of the Sydney Basin (and to a lesser degree that of the Illawarra and the lower Hunter) can also affect the dispersion of pollutants.