Guest case study from Environmental Health Wales - A new approach to reducing domestic burning emissions

To mark the launch of Environmental Health Wales' new website, we are sharing this case study to give a flavour of the content the website will be home to and to highlight the work of environmental health professionals in Wales.

Environmental Health services play a vital role in protecting public health and the environment. By combining scientific expertise, regulation, education and partnership working, Environmental Health professionals help tackle issues that affect people's health and quality of life every day.

Recognising the impacts of poor air quality on public health, Swansea Council's Environmental Health Service has been exploring innovative ways to reduce emissions from domestic burning and raise public awareness of air pollution.

Accounting for over a third of all Wales' fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, burning solid fuels for home heating is a major contributor to air pollution and a growing public health concern. PM2.5 is problematic because of its 'systemic toxicity', infiltrating every organ in the body via the lungs and bloodstream. Long-term exposure is linked with increased mortality rates and a range of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.

The Environment and Soundscapes (Wales) Act 2024 tightened domestic burning regulations, but limitations remain. By defining the pollution to be controlled as visible 'smoke', the legislation avoids focusing directly on the relatively invisible PM2.5. This is problematic because one hour of burning 'approved' wood in an 'approved' stove produces 300 times more PM2.5 than a gas boiler. However, this use is widely permitted by the Act. As a result, even the very latest regulations struggle to address emissions from the newest appliances, let alone older stoves.

To help address this challenge, Swansea Council Environmental Health officers secured funding through the Welsh Government's Local Air Quality Management Support Fund (LAQMSF) for a collaborative research project with Swansea & Nottingham University and Health & Wellbeing 360 Ltd, to design and test an air quality alert system. Known as a 'Burn Alert' system, it uses hyper-local sensor networks to help householders make informed choices about burning. If PM2.5 levels at their postcode rise above a certain threshold, they receive an email and/or SMS message asking them not to burn. This prevents emissions before they happen and, in doing so, tackles air pollution at source.

In winter 2024-25, the Environmental Health Service installed 18 new PM2.5 sensors across Swansea, bringing the total number to 25, and recruitment of 50 residents to test the system over four weeks. The majority of participants followed the guidance not to burn, preventing hundreds of hours of emissions. Participants also reported improved understanding of air quality, highlighting the system's ability not only to reduce immediate emissions but also to support longer-term behavioural change and public awareness.

The research project also conducted a public health impact analysis to model the effects of reduced emissions. In one small area of Swansea, even modest adherence to alerts showed measurable reductions in several serious health conditions. This highlights the potential of the Burn Alert system to complement existing regulations and demonstrates the important role Environmental Health services play in protecting and improving community health.

A follow-up LAQMSF-funded project is now underway, now including Swansea, Newport, Blaenau Gwent and Monmouthshire Council's Environmental Health Service, to develop a broader, personalised alert system for a wider range of users. Taking lessons from the Burn Alert pilot, the new system will target a range of polluting behaviours and offer users greater customisation over the alerts they receive.

This project demonstrates how Environmental Health professionals are using technology, data and public health expertise to tackle environmental challenges, reduce pollution at source and protect the health and wellbeing of local communities across Wales.

To find out more about Environmental Health in Wales visit:
www.environmentalhealth.wales