Particulate matter is produced when wood is burned and is physically part of the process. This does not mean you have to put up with it. There are many ways to reduce particulate matter from burning wood. One of the most scientifically proven is the dust collector.

Particles between 10 and 2.5 μm (PM 10 and PM2.5) are statistically relevant – for health, it is the particles below 2.5 μm that are most important. These are small enough to enter the smallest lung alveoli or even cross the blood-brain barrier. In addition to cancer, they can also cause lung and cardiovascular diseases.

The Federal Environment Agency regularly calculates the contribution of wood combustion to total particulate matter in Germany. In 2020, households (and therefore wood-burning heating systems and stoves) will be the largest source of particulate matter in Germany. Of course, the problem is not only there, but worldwide. Recommendations from the World Health Organisation regularly suggest that particulate matter emissions, i.e. what reaches people, need to be reduced.

Currently, particulate matter is measured gravimetrically. This means that the dust from a measurement is weighed according to a defined procedure. This makes it possible to determine the mass of particulate matter that has been reduced. Of course, it does not tell us anything about the particularly dangerous very small particles. We therefore advocate counting the number of particles as a measure of the effectiveness of reduction measures. Counting is a measurement standard that is now accepted by experts.