Pollution from burning wood also affects water
By Gloria I. Wang
A common method of decreasing energy costs may not be the best option, after all, says a local environmental group. Using the fireplace as an alternative to turning on the heater pollutes not only the air, but the water, too, which can lead to health problems.
In the wake of California's power crisis, some households have tried to skimp on electricity and gas usage in order to save money. However, the West Valley Clean Water Program says that residents should be aware of the adverse effects of burning wood in their fireplaces. The program, a cooperative effort of the cities of Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell and Monte Sereno, has issued a warning to local residents to cut back on wood burning. While it has been known for several years that wood burning pollutes the air, most people don't know that the Bay Area's water supply is severely affected by the air.
Wood burning emits certain chemical compounds known as dioxins. Chlorine bleaching, paper production processes, incinerators and cigarettes are among other sources of dioxin. Through fog and rain, dioxins end up in the water supply.
West Valley Clean Water Program Manager Sheila Tucker says that the Environmental Protection Agency conducts water studies every two years. Recent results show that all of the creeks in the Bay Area, as well as the San Francisco Bay, have high levels of dioxin. The EPA labeled these bodies of water polluted.
According to an EPA report, long-term exposure to high levels of dioxin leads to health problems in humans, such as a severe skin disease called chloracne, and an increased risk of cancer. Bay Area Air Quality Management District spokesperson Terry Lee adds that effects also can include liver damage, reproductive and developmental deficiencies and tumor incidences.
"It is one of the most toxic substances known to man," Lee said.
While nobody can be completely free of exposure to dioxin, the water program reports there are ways for residents to significantly reduce the amount of dioxin in the air. Besides minimizing use of traditional fireplaces and wood stoves, Tucker urges households to purchase fireplace gas inserts, which burn gas instead of wood. The cost to retrofit a house with the insert is about $1500 to purchase the device, plus an added expense to connect it to gas hookups.
However, the town of Los Gatos included an ordinance in December 1992 that requires all new houses to have wood-burning appliances that meet EPA's standards. The approved appliances have cleaner emissions and lower levels of dioxin.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
