PhD Studentship: From Smoke to Sustainability Reducing Wood Burning for Cleaner Air and Healthier Lives

Woodburning has emerged as the single most important source of primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Birmingham and likely many other UK cities. Exposure to PM2.5 from wood stoves contributes to hundreds of premature deaths each year in Birmingham and imposes a significant burden on public health, particularly through non-communicable diseases. It also has far-reaching economic impacts, including lost productivity.

The popularity of domestic wood stoves is increasing rapidly, with an estimated 150,000–200,000 units sold in 2022 alone. While manufacturers often market these stoves as “clean” and “sustainable,” emissions of PM2.5 are in fact highly dependent on the type of fuel and burning conditions. As emissions from traffic and industry decline, woodburning is expected to become an even larger contributor to the UK’s air pollution problem.

Despite its growing importance, our understanding of woodburning remains limited. Current knowledge of its spatial and temporal patterns at regional and national scales is poor, and the UK’s national emission inventory carries large uncertainties. This gap hinders effective assessment of the true health and environmental impacts of woodburning.

This studentship will address these challenges by providing robust scientific evidence on the contribution of woodburning to air quality in the West Midlands and across the UK. The project will:

• Use the UK’s nationally unique air quality supersite to conduct long-term observations at both urban background and upwind rural sites, capturing seasonal and temporal variation.
• Employ mobile measurements to characterise the spatial distribution of woodburning emissions.
• Integrate observations into inversion modelling to refine regional and national emission inventories.
• Model the impact of woodburning on UK air quality and human health.
• Work with regional and local authorities to design and evaluate interventions aimed at reducing emissions.

The outcomes of this research will deliver critical evidence to inform policy at local, regional, and national levels. By identifying effective strategies to reduce woodburning, the project will directly contribute to improving air quality, protecting public health, and supporting the UK’s transition to a cleaner, healthier future.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

Funding notes:

This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant.

Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent.

International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort, provided UoB’s international student entry requirements are fulfilled. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. Further information: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx.

References:

Srivastava et al (2025) ‘Comparative receptor modelling for the sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at urban sites in the UK’, Atmospheric Environment, 343, p. 120963.

Defra Air Quality Expert Group (2017) The potential air quality impacts from biomass combustion. Available at: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat11/1708081027_170807_AQEG_Biomass_report.pdf

Shi et al (2021) ‘Abrupt but smaller than expected changes in surface air quality attributable to COVID-19 lockdowns’, Science Advances, 7(3), p. eabd6696.

Mazzeo et al (2022) ‘Modelling the impact of national vs. local emission reduction on PM2.5 in the West Midlands, UK using WRF-CMAQ’, Atmosphere, 13(3), p. 377.

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