Household and personal air pollution exposure measurements from 120 communities in eight countries: results from the PURE-AIR study

Abstract

Background Approximately 2•8 billion people are exposed to household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels. Few monitoring studies have systematically measured health-damaging air pollutant (ie, fine particulate matter [PM 2•5 ] and black carbon) concentrations from a wide range of cooking fuels across diverse populations. This multinational study aimed to assess the magnitude of kitchen concentrations and personal exposures to PM 2•5 and black carbon in rural communities with a wide range of cooking environments. Methods As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) cohort, the PURE-AIR study was done in 120 rural communities in eight countries (

Determinants of personal exposure to PM2.5 and black carbon in Chinese adults: A repeated-measures study in villages using solid fuel energy

“…There is also a lack of air pollution exposure data for important population subgroups. Men, for example, account for nearly half of the modelled disease burden attributable to household air pollution ( Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2020 ), but few studies have measured men’s exposure to PM 2.5 in a setting where solid fuel stoves were used ( Sanchez et al, 2019 , Arku et al, 2018 , Shupler et al, 2020 ). Measurements of PM 2.5 exposures in exclusive clean fuel users relative to users of solid fuel in the same setting are rare, which is important for more realistically estimating the potential air quality and health benefits of clean energy interventions ( Shupler et al, 2018 , Shupler et al, 2020 ).…”

Association between biomass fuel use and the risk of cognitive impairment among older populations in China: a population-based cohort study

“…Fourth, the annual assessment of cognition and fuel exposure every year from 2014 to 2018 is preferred, however, the CLHLS study is a nationwide cohort study, and it is difficult for investigators to survey many times. Finally, this study did not measure an individual’s actual exposure dose of HAP from biomass fuel use, the secondary polluting fuel use that also accounts for high levels of HAP [ 4 ] and the lifetime exposure to HAP. Thus, further studies should include a more objective and exhaustive assessment of individual exposure to indoor air pollution and fuel use to confirm these findings.…”

“…Furthermore, biomass fuel use has been linked to household air pollution (HAP) with a higher component of particulate matter (PM) compared with the combination of biomass & liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and LPG [ 2 ]. Studies have reported that particulate pollution from kitchens was higher when people used biomass fuels, including charcoal, wood, and grass, compared with clean fuels, including electricity and liquefied petroleum gas [ 3 , 4 ]. HAP from the burning of biomass fuels affects approximately three billion individuals worldwide [ 1 , 5 ].…”

Beyond Household Socioeconomic Status: Multilevel Modeling of Supply-Side Determinants of LPG Consumption among 5,500 Households in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…[12][13][14] LPG, although a fossil fuel, does not emit black carbon, and has much lower PM 2.5 emissions than polluting fuels. 12,15,16 Using LPG for cooking can also decrease localized deforestation, and reduce time spent gathering and cooking with polluting fuels. 16,17 Historically, studies focused on determinants of clean cooking have emphasized the 'household energy ladder' model, by which improvements in socioeconomic status (SES) lead households to progressively transition to cleaner energy sources.…”

“…12,15,16 Using LPG for cooking can also decrease localized deforestation, and reduce time spent gathering and cooking with polluting fuels. 16,17 Historically, studies focused on determinants of clean cooking have emphasized the 'household energy ladder' model, by which improvements in socioeconomic status (SES) lead households to progressively transition to cleaner energy sources. [18][19][20] However, other aspects, including consistent fuel access, safety and convenience are also important facilitators of clean cooking fuel uptake.…”