Household concentrations and personal exposure of PM2.5 among urban residents using different cooking fuels

Abstract

Exposure to PM2.5 is a leading environmental risk factor for many diseases and premature deaths, arousing growing public concerns. In this study, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were investigated during the heating and non-heating seasons in an urban area in northwest China. Personal inhalation exposure levels among different age groups were evaluated, and the difference attributable to different cooking fuels including coal, gas and electricity, were discussed. The average concentrations of PM2.5 in the kitchen and the bedroom were 125±51 and 119±64 µg/m3 during the heating season, and 80±67 and 80±50 µg/m3 during the non-heating season, respectively. Indoor PM2.5, from indoor combustion sources but also outdoor penetration, contributed to about 75% of the total PM2.5 exposure. Much higher indoor concentrations and inhalation exposure levels were found in households using coal for cooking compared to those using gas and electricity. Changing from coal to gas or electricity for cooking could result in a reduction of PM2.5 in the kitchen by 40–70% and consequently lower inhalation exposure levels, especially for children and women.

Household Fuel Use and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

“…Compared to natural gas, kerosene/diesel and solid fuel burning are associated with higher indoor PM 2.5 and polyaromatic hydrocarbon concentrations, 33-35 which could contribute to downstream adverse health consequences including the observed increases in all-cause and CVD mortality seen in the present study. Insufficient exposure times to solid fuel burning in the present study could explain the lack of an observed effect on mortality.…”

Environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, kitchen ventilation, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and risk of diabetes among Chinese females

“…Moreover, the underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes may be related to the induction of oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs, representing releases of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF‐a and IL‐6) and chemokines (such as CCL‐5) . Evidence has shown that more than 75% of the overall PM 2.5 exposure occurred indoors in females aged ≥15 years, and exposure to indoor PM 2.5 was positively associated with FeNO level . The results indicated that the cooking individuals with liquefied petroleum gas used for cooking had a relative increase of 5.75% (95% CI: 0.10%‐11.73%) in FeNO compared with those with natural gas used for cooking .…”

A Review of Recent Advances in Research on PM2.5 in China

“…Zhang and Duan [ 80 ] showed that burning a mosquito coil ring could release 626 μg·m −3 of PM 2.5 , which is 8.3 times the concentration limit allowed for the residential environment. Li et al [ 81 ] concluded that PM 2.5 concentration in households using coal to cook was significantly higher than those using gas or electricity, and if coal is switched to gas or electricity, the PM 2.5 concentration in the kitchen could be reduced by 40–70%. Zhou et al [ 82 ] indicated that human activities such as walking, dressing and cleaning could result in increased indoor PM 2.5 concentration by 33%.…”