A new initiative taking place this winter aims to raise awareness of black carbon pollution and the impact of wood smoke on air quality across London.
For its Clean Air Night initiative, Global Action Plan (GAP) is aiming to raise awareness of the health impacts of black carbon and wood smoke, with support from The Greater London Authority. Cura Terrae Air is assisting the campaign by providing specialist equipment and technical expertise to support data collection and analysis.
As part of the campaign, Cura Terrae Air has deployed an Aerosol AE33 Black Carbon monitor, installed in an Air Quality station in Newham Council in London. This monitor has been collecting data throughout December and January and will continue through February, providing valuable insights into pollution levels during the winter period.
When released from wood burning, black carbon can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, worsening asthma, and increasing the risk of premature death. In urban areas, domestic wood burning has become a major source of wintertime particulate pollution, making monitoring essential to understand exposure levels and target mitigation efforts.
Wood burning typically emits high concentrations of particulate matter containing black carbon. Measuring PM₂.₅ alone makes it difficult to accurately assess domestic wood burning’s contribution to overall concentrations, as there are many other sources of PM₂.₅ within cities and from farther afield. By introducing monitors to specifically measure black carbon, the proportion of PM₂.₅ in the city resulting from wood burning can be identified.
Together, partners of Clean Air Night aim to highlight the environmental and health effects of black carbon emissions and encourage positive behaviour change. Air pollution is the largest environmental health risk globally, according to The Lancet. It is estimated to contribute to the equivalent of 30,000 deaths each year in the UK, with an economic cost of £27 billion annually. A UK analysis in 2025 concluded that wood burner smoke in particular is linked to 2,500 deaths a year.
It is hoped that the black carbon monitor in Newham produces on-the-ground insights to share, to encourage public awareness and engagement with the issue.
