A Comparison of Particulate Matter from Biomass-Burning Rural and Non-Biomass-Burning Urban Households in Northeastern China

Abstract

BackgroundBiomass fuel is the primary source of domestic fuel in much of rural China. Previous studies have not characterized particle exposure through time–activity diaries or personal monitoring in mainland China.ObjectivesIn this study we characterized indoor and personal particle exposure in six households in northeastern China (three urban, three rural) and explored differences by location, cooking status, activity, and fuel type. Rural homes used biomass. Urban homes used a combination of electricity and natural gas.MethodsStationary monitors measured hourly indoor particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) for rural and urban kitchens, urban sitting rooms, and outdoors. Personal monitors for PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) were employed for 10 participants. Time–activity patterns in 30-min intervals were recorded by researchers for each participant.ResultsStationary monitoring results indicate that rural kitchen PM10 levels are three times higher than those in urban kitchens during cooking. PM10 was 6.1 times higher during cooking periods than during noncooking periods for rural kitchens. Personal PM2.5 levels for rural cooks were 2.8–3.6 times higher than for all other participant categories. The highest PM2.5 exposures occurred during cooking periods for urban and rural cooks. However, rural cooks had 5.4 times higher PM2.5 levels during cooking than did urban cooks. Rural cooks spent 2.5 times more hours per day cooking than did their urban counterparts.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that biomass burning for cooking contributes substantially to indoor particulate levels and that this exposure is particularly elevated for cooks. Second-by-second personal PM2.5 exposures revealed differences in exposures by population group and strong temporal heterogeneity that would be obscured by aggregate metrics.

Indoor air pollution and the lung in low- and medium-income countries

“…In a wood-using community in Nepal, the 24-h average PM2.5 was found to be 680 mg?m -3 (range 616-744 mg?m -3 ) [31], which is similar to other studies from Guatemala (22-h average 520 mg?m -3 ) [4] and China (24-h average 489 mg?m -3 ) [36]. All these reported concentrations are several-fold higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) global ambient air quality guidelines, which recommend that the 24-h and annual mean PM10 concentration should not exceed 50 and 20 mg?m -3 , respectively, with PM2.5 not exceeding 25 and 10 mg?m -3 , respectively [37].…”

Energy Utilization in Residential Kitchens in Bauchi, Nigeria

“…The vast majority of time can be attributed to collecting fuel, but additional time is spent storing wood; splitting it into manageable pieces; starting the fire; cleaning and clearing the cooking area, with higher frequency and length of cooking events (Jiang and Bell 2008). These differences can be explained by more efficient and faster cooking methods using natural gas and/or electricity in urban areas.…”

“…In Tamil Nadu, India, women cooks spent over six hours per day in the kitchen area, whereas those not involved in cooking spent less than an hour (Balakrishnan et al2002). Nevertheless a common theme in rural settings is that women spend significantly more time in the kitchen area than do men, thereby increasing their exposure to indoor pollution (Jiang and Bell 2008).…”

Particulate Air Pollutants and Respiratory Diseases

“…Also, children living in homes that use organic fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting are exposed to much higher levels of PM than children living in homes where parents smoke and use clean fuels (e.g., a mean indoor level of 200 mg/m 3 PM per 24 h; Jiang & Bell, 2008).…”