Number 65c June 2018 Indoor Air Quality: Combustion By-products What are combustion by-products? monoxide exposure can cause loss of Combustion (burning) by-products are gases consciousness and death. and small particles. They are created by incompletely burned fuels such as oil, gas, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can irritate your kerosene, wood, coal and propane. eyes, nose, throat and lungs. You may have shortness of breath. If you have a respiratory The type and amount of combustion by- illness, you may be at higher risk of product produced depends on the type of fuel experiencing health effects from nitrogen and the combustion appliance. How well the dioxide exposure. appliance is designed, built, installed and maintained affects the by-products it creates. Particulate matter (PM) forms when Some appliances receive certification materials burn. Tiny airborne particles can depending on how clean burning they are. The irritate your eyes, nose and throat. They can Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and also lodge in the lungs, causing irritation or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) damage to lung tissue. Inflammation due to certify wood stoves and other appliances. particulate matter exposure may cause heart problems. Some combustion particles may Examples of combustion by-products include: contain cancer-causing substances. particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, Carbon dioxide (CO2) occurs naturally in the water vapor and hydrocarbons. air. Human health effects such as headaches, dizziness and fatigue can occur at high levels Where do combustion by-products come but rarely occur in homes. Carbon dioxide from? levels are sometimes measured to find out if enough fresh air gets into a room or building. Combustion by-products come from wood Although carbon dioxide and carbon heaters and wood stoves, furnaces, gas ranges, monoxide are both combustion by-products, gas heaters, generators, fireplaces, vehicle the presence of carbon dioxide does not exhaust and unvented kerosene heaters, stoves necessarily mean the highly toxic compound, and other sources. Second-hand tobacco carbon monoxide, is also present. smoke also contains combustion by-products. What can I do to prevent or limit health What are some health concerns of concerns? combustion by-products? Controlling the source, improving ventilation Carbon monoxide (CO) reduces the blood’s and using carbon monoxide (CO) detectors ability to carry oxygen. Recent exposure may will help limit health concerns. Using an air cause tiredness, headaches, nausea, flu-like cleaner may further improve air quality. symptoms, dizziness, impaired vision and confusion. If you have heart disease, it may cause chest pain. Very high levels of carbon Control the source: Use carbon monoxide (CO) detectors: • Follow the manufacturers’ instructions for Carbon monoxide detectors are readily all combustion appliances available and cheap to install. Like smoke detectors, they need regular testing to make • Regularly service and clean appliances, and sure they are working properly. You can check vents such as chimneys with a consumer guide to find a carbon • Use only fuels recommended for each monoxide detector that best meets your needs. appliance • Make sure that wood stoves are installed and Use air cleaners: maintained correctly. Doors should be tight Air cleaners may reduce levels of pollutants in fitting to prevent leakage indoor air if used along with source control and improved ventilation. Air cleaners use • Use only aged or dried wood, not pressure electrical attraction, mechanical filters or ion treated or painted wood that may form more generation to remove particles from the air. toxic compounds when burned They vary in their cost and how well they • Inspect furnace and flues, and repair cracks work. No air cleaners will remove all and damaged parts. Open the flue when pollutants from indoor air. Some air cleaners using your fireplace. Do not let a fire within may produce harmful levels of ozone. This can a wood heater smolder, especially just cause adverse health effects. Look for air before opening the firebox cleaners that are certified to release low • Change your furnace and air conditioning amounts of ozone. For more information, see filters every couple of months if using them Residential Air Cleaner Use to Improve Indoor often. Consider using a more effective Air Quality and Health at furnace filter www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Air_Cleaners • Never allow smoking in or near the home _Oct_2010.pdf (PDF 162 KB). • Reduce the use of candles and incense in the If you plan to buy an air cleaning system, home make sure you get the device that best meets your needs. Improve ventilation: • Use a stove hood and fan that vents outside For More Information when cooking with gas stoves and ranges For more information about indoor air quality • When you need to replace a space heater, and your health, visit: buy a vented heater • Health Canada - Air Quality • Make sure enough fresh air gets into your www.canada.ca/en/health- home from the outdoors, especially when canada/services/air-quality.html using combustion appliances • The B.C. Lung Association - Air Quality • Make sure fresh air intake vents are not https://bc.lung.ca/protect-your-lungs/air- blocked or covered quality-lung-health or call toll-free • Do not have air intake vents coming into 1 800 665-LUNG (5864). your home from your garage. Never idle a vehicle in an attached garage For more HealthLinkBC File topics, visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca/healthfiles or your local public health unit. For non-emergency health information and advice in B.C. visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca or call 8-1-1 (toll-free). For the deaf and hard of hearing, call 7-1-1. Translation services are available in more than 130 languages on request. .