Regeneration burns are not the cause of air pollution but woodheaters are, as stated by a study commissioned by Forestry Tasmania.

The study showed that in Tasmania's Huon Valley, 80 per cent of emissions are from woodheaters and this has sparked off concerns.

Huon Valley residents had complained about smoke pollution and following this CSIRO was asked to conduct a study by Forestry to take a look at smoke pollution.

For about 18 months, Dr Mick Meyer compared air quality at Geeveston and rural Grove in the Huon Valley.

It was seen that lesser airborne particles were seen that were produced by burn-offs as compared to domestic fires and the reason was that the smoke column rises above the lower atmosphere.

Wood heaters caused about 80 per cent of smoke particles in the atmosphere as compared to regeneration burns that caused about 11 per cent.

Privately lit filters were another cause of air pollution. If seen April 2009 to this year May, the healthy limits that smoke from regeneration burns exceeded was about three times.

There is adequate energy in smoke generated by regeneration burns and this enables it to go to the troposphere and further getting dispersed by the wind but wood heater smoke tends to hang over houses.