8. Wood-burning stove
“We think of wood-burning stoves as a wonderfully warm thing, but it’s also a source of pollution,” Nolen says. Due to fire, wood-burning stoves can emit chemicals such as nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde that affect all of us when the stovepipes let out smoke, she says. Fortunately, latest models are getting cleaner, she says, and natural gas is an even cleaner choice.
Don’t forget about pressure-treated wood. It’s great when it comes to protecting against rotting and different types of insects, but it is more toxic than untreated timber, Dr. Friedman-Jimenez says. Also, don’t burn the treated lumber from old fences, swing sets, or stairs—it could lead you to breathe in high levels of the toxin chromated copper arsenate, he says.
