How are wood-burning ovens at bagel shops and pizzerias affecting air quality and the health of their neighbours?
That's the aim of a study by Montreal public health officials.
Dr. David Kaiser of the Montreal Public Health Department said they teamed up with the MUHC to see just how polluting commercial wood-burning ovens are.
"The estimate is that they contribute to about three per cent of the totals," said Kaiser in an interview with CJAD 800.
That's compared to vehicles, the industrial sector and even residential wood-burning stoves.
"Even if they don't contribute in a huge amount to the overall picture, what's going on close by because the people living close by are going to be the ones most exposed," said Kaiser.
"If there are people who are being exposed in neighbourhoods where we can change that exposure, then we should definitely work on that."
They collected air samples this summer and their report should be ready in the next couple of weeks.
"I can't say what is the level of impact but that is exactly what we want to answer and then that will guide us in how we approach it," said Kaiser.
"It's a public health problem because we know there are health impacts of particulate matter pollution - so having fine particles in our city's air - and we know we can do something about it."