Grantham Scholar Rohit Chakraborty launches Burner Alert, the UK’s first warning system for woodburner air pollution.
Rohit and James Heydon have created an online system Burner Alert that monitors air pollution. Burner Alert uses sensors and weather data to monitor local air quality. When pollution levels are high, users are warned against using woodburners, unless they have no other source of heating.
You can find out more about Burner Alert on YouTube.
Fine particles emitted from log burners pose a risk to health.
“A lot of people don’t even know that wood stoves are bad for air quality,” said Rohit to iNews. “We want to try and educate people and help them to understand that air quality is affected because of their woodstoves.”
In 2021 Rohit published work that shows woodburners cause indoor pollution. In response to this, he was interviewed by the Guardian’s Environment Editor as well as being featured by other national and international media. We’ve put all the stories together here.
If you want to find out more about wood burners and air pollution, then you can read our interview with Rohit.
Currently the warning system for woodburner air pollution covers Sheffield. But Rohit and James hope to expand Burner Alert to other areas.
Both iNews and The Guardian featured the launch of Burner Alert.
Households with woodburners told to think twice and consider air pollution before lighting up.
What can cities do when air pollution soars and what works?
Grantham Scholar Maria del Carmen Redondo Bermudez also works on air pollution.
Her work focuses on mitigation, especially for schoolchildren. For her project she designs green barriers of living plants. These green barriers wrap around areas, like playgrounds, and reduce the levels of air pollution. Find out more: Green barrier to reduce air pollution for children.
Main image is of Rohit at his desk and is by Dora Damian.