Table 4 Experimental studies of wood smoke toxicity

Human inhalation studies

Conventional wood stove

organic carbon/soot

inhalation, human

- inflammation in distal airways

- systemic inflammation

- blood coagulation

- lipid peroxidation

- increased oxidative stress ?

[7, 8, 138, 139]

Pellets burner/incomplete combustion

organic carbon/soot

inhalation, human

- increased oxidative stress ?

[120, 140]

In vivo animal studies

Conventional wood stove/mixed burn-cycle

organic carbon/soot

inhalation, rat

- mild chronic inflammation

[75]

Conventional wood stove/incomplete combustion

organic carbon

inhalation, mouse/rat

- allergic airway inflammation

- decreased lung function

- mild lung inflammation

- systemic immunotoxicity

- increases in platelet levels

[141–145]

Conventional wood stove/high-temperature incomplete combustion

soot

footpad immunisation model, mouse

- enhanced allergic sensitisation

[146]

In vitro studies

Old boiler, modern boiler, pellets boiler

epithelial cell line, human

- genotoxicity

- inflammation

[147]

Thermolysis of bark/incomplete combustion

organic carbon

macrophage-like cell line, mouse

- DNA damage

- oxidative stress

- inflammation

[148]

Conventional wood stove/high-temperature incomplete combustion

soot

epithelial and monocytic cell lines, human

- DNA damage

[149]

Modern boiler, conventional wood stove/normal and poor combustion conditions

inorganic ash soot, organic carbon

fibroblast cell line, hamster

- chromosome breakage

- cytotoxicity

[53]

Conventional masonry heater/normal and poor combustion conditions

macrophage-like cell line, mouse

- cytotoxicity

- inflammation:

TNF-α

MIP-2

Salonen et al. in [120]

Conventional wood stove/high-temperature incomplete combustion

soot

epithelial and monocytic cell lines, human

- inflammation

[150, 151]

Large biomass combustion plant

inorganic ash

epithelial cell line, human

- inflammation

Bellman el al. in [120]