title: Health impacts of anthropogenic biomass burning in the developed world.
abstract: Climate change policies have stimulated a shift towards renewable energy sources such as biomass. The economic crisis of 2008 has also increased the practice of household biomass burning as it is often cheaper than using oil, gas or electricity for heating. As a result, household biomass combustion is becoming an important source of air pollutants in the European Union.This position paper discusses the contribution of biomass combustion to pollution levels in Europe, and the emerging evidence on the adverse health effects of biomass combustion products.Epidemiological studies in the developed world have documented associations between indoor and outdoor exposure to biomass combustion products and a range of adverse health effects. A conservative estimate of the current contribution of biomass smoke to premature mortality in Europe amounts to at least 40 000 deaths per year.We conclude that emissions from current biomass combustion products negatively affect respiratory and, possibly, cardiovascular health in Europe. Biomass combustion emissions, in contrast to emissions from most other sources of air pollution, are increasing. More needs to be done to further document the health effects of biomass combustion in Europe, and to reduce emissions of harmful biomass combustion products to protect public health.
authors.affiliation: University of Aarhus, Institute of Public Health, Aarhus, Denmark ts@ph.au.dk.
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sigsgaard
authors.affiliation: Dept of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bertil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.affiliation: INSERM UMR-S 1136, Institute Pierre Louis of Epidemiology and Public Health, Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases, Paris, France UPMC, UMR-S 1136, Institute Pierre Louis of Epidemiology and Public Health, Epidemiology of Allergic and Respiratory Diseases, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Annesi-Maesano
authors.affiliation: Dept of Public Health and Clinical Medicine/Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blomberg
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Environmental Medicine, Dept of Air Pollution and Noise, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bølling
authors.affiliation: Thermochemical Energy Conversion Laboratory, Dept of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boman
authors.affiliation: University of Aarhus, Institute of Public Health, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bønløkke
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brauer
authors.affiliation: WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Héroux
authors.affiliation: University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Maija-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hirvonen
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.affiliation: Krefting Research Centre, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundbäck
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Environmental Health, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Hanns
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moshammer
authors.affiliation: The University of Montana, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Missoula, MT, USA.
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noonan
authors.affiliation: Lund University, Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pagels
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sallsten
authors.affiliation: University Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sculier
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brunekreef
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056804:Biofuels / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018533:Biomass; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D057231:Climate Change; D019049:Developed Countries; D005062:European Union; D006291:Health Policy; D006361:Heating / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011640:Public Policy; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D056804:Biofuels; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012906:Smoke