They're a trendy and effective way to keep your home warm and inviting during the winter months.

But wood burning stoves could be raising your risk of Britain's deadliest cancer, research has shown. 

The home-heating devices, which have become a popular fixture in middle class homes, have been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer.

They are also said to be one of the main drivers of harmful air pollutants in UK cities.   

It comes as new research today found wood burning stoves are now the UK's biggest source of toxic PM2.5 particles.

The 'domestic burning of wood and other fuels' accounted for almost a third of all PM2.5 emissions in 2022, the report discovered. 

These particles are too tiny to be filtered out by our nose and lungs, which can deal with larger particles such as pollen. 

Studies have long suggested that PM2.5 particulates can enter the bloodstream, where they cause serious illnesses such as heart disease and lung cancer. 

One meta-analysis involving 17 separate studies, found an increase in exposure to PM2.5 raised the risk of lung cancer by eight per cent and dying from the disease by 11 per cent. 

The Chinese researchers also discovered lung cancer mortality associated with PM2.5 was greatest in North America, where the risk rose 15 per cent. 

Asia and Europe followed with an increase of 12 and five per cent respectively.

Lung cancer incidence associated with PM2.5 meanwhile, was greatest in Asia, with a raised risk of nine per cent.

North America and Europe followed with rises of six and three per cent respectively.  

Last year, one US study also found using an indoor wood stove or fireplace increases womens' risk of developing lung cancer by 43 per cent compared with those that don't. 

Researchers, who tracked over 50,000 Americans, also found people who used their wood burner on more than 30 days a year saw their lung cancer risk increase 68 per cent. 

Dr Suril Mehta, study co-author and scientist at the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, said: 'Our study provides evidence that even occasional indoor wood burning from stoves and fireplaces can contribute to lung cancer in populations where indoor wood burning is not the predominant fuel source for cooking or heating inside the home.' 

Lung cancer strikes around 50,000 people in the UK and 230,000 in the US every year.

It is the world's biggest cancer killer. It is notoriously difficult to diagnose and often appears later when it's harder to treat.

Figures show it kills four out of five patients within five years. Fewer than 10 per cent of people survive their disease for a decade or more.

Despite the progress, a disparity among sexes is emerging, with women between the ages of 35 and 54 being diagnosed with lung cancer at higher rates than men in that same age group.  

Toxins generated by burning wood have long been linked to a range of lung and heart problems including asthma and stunted lung development in children. 

Domestic combustion, which includes wood burning, also contributed to a third of the UK's total PM2.5 emissions in 2021 — particles in the air invisible to the human eye that can enter into blood and penetrate deep into the lungs.

It comes as fresh research today warned that wood burning stoves are now the UK's biggest source of PM2.5. 

The report, by the the Institute of Fiscal Studies, also found three-quarters of domestic combustion emissions of PM2.5 came from woodburning in 2022.

It said: 'The three largest sources of primary PM2.5 in the UK are domestic burning of wood and other fuels (29 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022), road transport (17.9 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022), and industrial processes and product use (16.5 per cent of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022) such as construction and steel manufacturing.

'The only source of PM2.5 emissions that has increased over the period is domestic combustion. 

'Three-quarters of the domestic combustion emissions of PM2.5 came from woodburning in 2022.'

Only stoves officially given the 'Ecodesign' mark are allowed for sale in the UK and any wood for sale must be certified 'ready to burn'.

In August, a letter signed by more than 100 doctors warned that toxins generated by burning wood are an 'invisible killer'.

In its position statement, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) urged the Government to 'phase out domestic wood-burning in urban areas, assist rural residents to transition away from wood as a primary heating source, and support those in fuel poverty with fuel cost assistance'. 

It also said it wanted to see Ella's law brought in, and for the Government to commit to World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines.

Ella's law is named after Ella Roberta Adoo Kissi Debrah, who died in 2013 aged nine after suffering a fatal asthma attack. 

A 2021 coroner's report found air pollution contributed to her death. She was the first person in England to have air pollution named as a cause of death by a coroner.

Ella lived just 80ft from a notorious pollution 'hotspot' on the busy south circular road in Lewisham, south-east London — one of the capital's busiest roads.

Between 2010 and 2013 she had numerous seizures and made almost 30 hospital visits.

Environmental secretary Steve Reed has said he will deliver on the targets of the Environment Act, which includes a goal for curbing PM2.5 pollution by 2040.

The target requires a maximum annual average concentration of no more than ten micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre by then.

This follows the expansion of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) last year to cover all of London's boroughs in attempt to further cut pollution levels. 

* Do you still love your wood burner? Please email: [email protected] *