Burning Coal "Stunts Growth" and Causes Mental Deficiency

So there I was driving in to work and listening to the radio when I heard an interview Dr. Mike Roizen (nationally syndicated medical talk show host). Among today's topics was a study of children who grew up in homes where coal was burned as the primary heating or cooking source. These children, on average, were both shorter in stature than their control group peers and suffered higher rates of learning disabilities. This was, of course, in addition to long known respiratory problems. The reasons cited were believed to the particulate emissions and the toxins conveyed in them as well as the organic volatile compounds.

Intrigued, I looked into this a bit. Not exhaustively, just a bit. The study, I believe, was European and focused on childhood development in homes where solid fuels were used for either cooking or heating. Both wood and coal were examined. The results mentioned were most related to coal. The relational results for wood were less clear as the the majority of the wood users did not rely on wood as the bulk of their heating needs. Rather, wood users tended to use wood to supplement other fuel sources. Coal users, on the other hand, tended to use coal as the primary heat source.

My immediate conclusion was that, even in Europe, burning wood is a hassle as evidenced by the fact that most users of wood relied on an alternate primary source.

Beyond that, I am definitely awaiting an opportunity to more fully examine the study. What kind of coal is being burned? Where in the home is it being used? In what kind of equipment is it being used? What is the overall living situation? While I have not had an opportunity to review the statistical power and methods of the study, it's definitely something which will be revisited.

"People with short children prefer coal"

I have noticed that those who breath air seem to eventually die.

Glad my dad and his brother both used coal when we were youngsers as I am 6'2" and my cousin rich is well over 6'6" maybe 6'7" its been awhile but without coal I might be 6'7" and he 7'2" LOL!

I think they're shorter 'cause they have to stoop over to tend the stove in the hand dug - low ceiling basement all their childhood!

Ah! So that's why my grandmother was so short! When she was born in 1901, she and her twin sister were placed in the coal fired oven to keep them warm because they were both so tiny. They went in small and grew up small. Now I know. Must be genetic too as my daughter is built just like her. Damn coal fired ovens.

Just to be certain, I didn't make my kids carry the annual 4 ton usage up and down the steps. Wanted to be certain it didn't compress their young vertebrates before they grew out

Thanks Paul!

I'm 5'4" & I grew up with oil heat ....

What a ridiculous study and conclusion!

Just as I suspected!

My favorite comment after the article:

I must ask W(here) TF they found people cooking and heating with coal in this day and age? I'm not a scientist even though I occaisionally play one on this TV. But I would posit that anyone who is doing this is living in relative if not extreme poverty.

Please excuse me while I go out and look for some fresh roadkill so I can eat today.

Ya Woodn'Coal that was a great line front he article.

I have to go out and pick up another ton of the dam growth-stunting black rock this AM.

This one of those studies that need more study. More study, more money.
Europe is searching for excuses as to why it is screwed up. Did Einstein have coal
heat ? We should study that. Maybe short people flock the the mining areas, because
they are short.

Plus, don't they burn more bit and sub-bit coals on the other side of the pond? More VOC in those coals than anthracite. Must have leaky stoves and bad-ash practices too. If properly hooked up and vented, a well designed appliance shouldn't leak.

There needs to be some serious normalizing of the information they're drawing these conclusions from . I'm wondering if this sturdy was peer-reviewed before releasing it. There's a lot of shoddy stuff being rushed our. Remember NASA's claim that they found a new form of bacteria in Yellowstone that was based on arsenic instead of phosphorous and nitrogen?

After all these years I been calling my dad a Mental Migit and its true. He tells me stories how grandpaw and him would stoke the coal stove and I still can remember the old Glenwood we had when I was a kid in the old house. The only problem is gramps was 6'2" dads 6'4" and I'm only 5'2" go figure

Yes, burning coal contributes to great mental weakness. Let's see in the 19th Century all of these stupefied people were exposed to coal smoke everyday of their entire lives. Idiots like Westinghouse, Edison, Tesla, Marconi, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Louie Pasture, Charles Dickens, Graham Bell, Charles Stevenson, Goodyear and Frank Loyd Wright and many other such morons who would just stare into space while drooling on themselves. Just think if they didn't have all of that terrible coal burning around them, then they would have escaped this terrible fate.