"The primal urge to sit in front of a fire is in our DNA. That might be the reason I've typed "vintage electronic fireplaces" into Etsy's search bar on more than one occasion. There's evidence that fires can lower our blood pressure and induce relaxation as "part of a multisensory, absorptive, and social experience." I've sought that elusive object of desire: an affordable freestanding ventless fireplace that can give my apartment the majestic warm glow that only a fireplace can deliver."
"And going ventless isn't just about cost; there are quantifiable health risks to living with an actual Yule log. It is well established that wood-burning fireplaces negatively impact both indoor quality and outdoor air quality. A 2020 study published in Science of the Total Environment found that "long-term exposure to PAH levels measured in the fireplace room may contribute to the development of cancer.""
"A 2023 study found that "increasing frequency of wood-burning indoor fireplace/stove usage was associated with incident lung cancer, even among never smokers." Residential wood-burning fireplaces can increase levels of cancer-causing PAHs in local outdoor air pollution by orders of magnitude. Even though wood is renewable, it is not always eco-friendly. Could there be an affordable ventless fireplace that won't increase cancer risk or speed up the earth's demise? Possibly."
The primal urge to sit before a fire yields measurable relaxation and lower blood pressure as part of a multisensory, absorptive, and social experience. Affordable freestanding ventless fireplaces offer a way to recreate fireplace ambiance without chimney installation or building retrofits. Wood-burning fireplaces degrade indoor and outdoor air quality and emit polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) linked to cancer risk. A 2020 study associated long-term PAH exposure in fireplace rooms with cancer development, and a 2023 study linked increased indoor wood-burning use to incident lung cancer, even among never-smokers. Residential wood burning can raise local PAH pollution dramatically. Two main ventless types exist, including gel-fuel models that produce a real flame.
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