Wood Smoke is Toxic

It would be bad enough if wood smoke was only a major source of hazardous particle pollution.

But wood smoke also contains toxic and carcinogenic substances, including:

• benzene
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• benzopyrenes
• dibenzanthracenes
• dibenzocarbazoles
• mercury

Wood burning also creates dioxin—one of the most toxic substances on earth. According to the Bay Area Air Quality Management Agency, one third of the total amount of dioxin in the Bay Area comes from wood burning.