Mutagenicity and Pollutant Emission Factors of Solid-Fuel Cookstoves: Comparison with Other Combustion Sources

Abstract

Background:Emissions from solid fuels used for cooking cause ~4 million premature deaths per year. Advanced solid-fuel cookstoves are a potential solution, but they should be assessed by appropriate performance indicators, including biological effects.Objective:We evaluated two categories of solid-fuel cookstoves for eight pollutant and four mutagenicity emission factors, correlated the mutagenicity emission factors, and compared them to those of other combustion emissions.Methods:We burned red oak in a 3-stone fire (TSF), a natural-draft stove (NDS), and a forced-draft stove (FDS), and we combusted propane as a liquified petroleum gas control fuel. We determined emission factors based on useful energy (megajoules delivered, MJd) for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), black carbon, methane, total hydrocarbons, 32 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PM2.5, levoglucosan (a wood-smoke marker), and mutagenicity in Salmonella.Results:With the exception of NOx, the emission factors per MJd were highly correlated (r ≥ 0.97); the correlation for NOx with the other emission factors was 0.58–0.76. Excluding NOx, the NDS and FDS reduced the emission factors an average of 68 and 92%, respectively, relative to the TSF. Nevertheless, the mutagenicity emission factor based on fuel energy used (MJthermal) for the most efficient stove (FDS) was between those of a large diesel bus engine and a small diesel generator.Conclusions:Both mutagenicity and pollutant emission factors may be informative for characterizing cookstove performance. However, mutagenicity emission factors may be especially useful for characterizing potential health effects and should be evaluated in relation to health outcomes in future research. An FDS operated as intended by the manufacturer is safer than a TSF, but without adequate ventilation, it will still result in poor indoor air quality.Citation:Mutlu E, Warren SH, Ebersviller SM, Kooter IM, Schmid JE, Dye JA, Linak WP, Gilmour MI, Jetter JJ, Higuchi M, DeMarini DM. 2016. Mutagenicity and pollutant emission factors of solid-fuel cookstoves: comparison with other combustion sources. Environ Health Perspect 124:974–982; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509852

Mutagenicity and oxidative damage induced by an organic extract of the particulate emissions from a simulation of the deepwater horizon surface oil burns

“…Although we did not conduct chemical analyses of the emissions for aromatic amines and nitroarenes [Gullett et al, ], the strong mutagenesis of the extract in YG1042 +S9 and YG1024 +S9 implies a role for aromatic amines, and the strong response in YG1041 –S9 and YG1024 –S9 indicates a role for nitroarenes. These results are consistent with those from other combustion emissions whose mutagenicity is also associated with PAHs, nitroarenes, and aromatic amines, such as diesel exhaust [IARC, 2010; Mutlu et al, ], woodsmoke [Mutlu et al, ], and air pollution due to combustion emissions [IARC, ].…”

Flavors of Fire: Assessing the Relative Toxicity of Smoke from Different Types of Wildfires

“…Compared with previously reported values of mutagenicity for other types of burning materials, the pine needle emissions were considerably more mutagenic than smoke generated by the open burning of agricultural plastic3 or wood-burning cookstoves,4 and approximately half as potent as smoke generated by burning rubber tires,5 based on mass of fuel consumed.…”

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds among recently pregnant rural Guatemalan women cooking and heating with solid fuels

“…As evidenced by this study and others (Li et al, 2011; Riojas-Rodriguez et al, 2011; Torres-Dosal et al, 2008), even with “improved” solid fuel cook stoves urinary levels of PAHs can exceed levels found in tobacco smokers. Similarly, a recent laboratory study of improved stoves showed that despite large decreases in emissions compared to open fires, even the cleanest solid-fuel stove produced high levels of mutagenic emissions (Mutlu et al, 2016). Therefore, stoves that use cleaner burning fuels, such as liquid propane gas or electricity, should be encouraged.…”