Dataset Information

Assessment of traditional and improved stove use on household air pollution and personal exposures in rural western Kenya.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Over 40% of the world's population relies on solid fuels for heating and cooking. Use of improved biomass cookstoves (ICS) has the potential to reduce household air pollution (HAP). OBJECTIVES:As part of an evaluation to identify ICS for use in Kenya, we collected indoor air and personal air samples to assess differences between traditional cookstoves (TCS) and ICS. METHODS:We conducted a cross-over study in 2012 in two Kenyan villages; up to six different ICS were installed in 45 households during six two-week periods. Forty-eight hour kitchen measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) were collected for the TCS and ICS. Concurrent personal CO measurements were conducted on the mother and one child in each household. We performed descriptive analysis and compared paired measurements between baseline (TCS only) and each ICS. RESULTS:The geometric mean of 48-hour baseline PM2.5 and CO concentrations in the kitchen was 586?g/m3 (95% CI: 460, 747) and 4.9ppm (95% CI: 4.3, 5.5), respectively. For each ICS, the geometric mean kitchen air pollutant concentration was lower than the TCS: median reductions were 38.8% (95% CI: 29.5, 45.2) for PM2.5 and 27.1% (95% CI: 17.4, 40.3) for CO, with statistically significant relationships for four ICS. We also observed a reduction in personal exposures to CO with ICS use. CONCLUSIONS:We observed a reduction in mean 48-hour PM2.5 and CO concentrations compared to the TCS; however, concentrations for both pollutants were still consistently higher than WHO air quality guidelines. Our findings illustrate that ICS tested in real-world settings can reduce exposures to HAP, but implementation of cleaner fuels and related stove technologies may also be necessary to optimize public health benefits.

SUBMITTER: Yip F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5538771 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessment of traditional and improved stove use on household air pollution and personal exposures in rural western Kenya.

Yip Fuyuen F Christensen Bryan B Sircar Kanta K Naeher Luke L Bruce Nigel N Pennise David D Lozier Matthew M Pilishvili Tamara T Loo Farrar Jennifer J Stanistreet Debbi D Nyagol Ronald R Muoki Justus J de Beer Lindsey L Sage Michael M Kapil Vikas V

Environment international 20161204

<h4>Background</h4>Over 40% of the world's population relies on solid fuels for heating and cooking. Use of improved biomass cookstoves (ICS) has the potential to reduce household air pollution (HAP).<h4>Objectives</h4>As part of an evaluation to identify ICS for use in Kenya, we collected indoor air and personal air samples to assess differences between traditional cookstoves (TCS) and ICS.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a cross-over study in 2012 in two Kenyan villages; up to six different ICS we ...[more]

PMID: 27923586

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Project description:BackgroundInadequate access to safe drinking water remains a global health problem, particularly in rural areas. Boiling is the most commonly used form of point-of-use household water treatment (HWT) globally, although the use of bottled water in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing rapidly.ObjectivesWe assessed the regional and seasonal prevalence of HWT practices (including bottled water use) in low-income rural areas in two Chinese provinces, evaluated the microbiological safety of drinking water and associated health outcomes, and estimated the air pollution burden associated with the use of solid fuels for boiling.MethodsWe conducted cross-sectional surveys and collected drinking water samples from 1,033 rural households in Guangxi and Henan provinces. Temperature sensors affixed to pots and electric kettles were used to corroborate self-reported boiling frequencies and durations, which were used to model household air pollution (HAP) in terms of estimated particulate matter ≤2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) concentrations.ResultsBased on summer data collection in both provinces, after controlling for covariates, boiling with electric kettles was associated with the largest log reduction in thermotolerant coliforms (TTCs) (-0.66 log10 TTC most probable number/100mL), followed by boiling with pots (-0.58), and bottled water use (-0.39); all were statistically significant (p<0.001). Boiling with electric kettles was associated with a reduced risk of TTC contamination [risk ratio (RR)=0.25, p<0.001] and reported diarrhea (RR=0.80, p=0.672). TTCs were detected in 51% (n=136) of bottled water samples. For households boiling with biomass, modeled PM2.5 concentrations averaged 79 μg/m3 (standard deviation=21).DiscussionOur findings suggest that where boiling is already common and electricity access is widespread, the promotion of electricity-based boiling may represent a pragmatic stop-gap means of expanding safe water access until centralized, or decentralized, treated drinking water is available; displacing biomass use for water boiling could also reduce HAP concentrations and exposures. Our results also highlight the risks of increasing bottled water use in rural areas, and its potential to displace other sources of safe drinking water, which could in turn hamper efforts in China and other LMICs toward universal and affordable safe water access. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7124.

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Assessment of traditional and improved stove use on household air pollution and personal exposures in rural western Kenya.

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Assessment of traditional and improved stove use on household air pollution and personal exposures in rural western Kenya.

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