Personal and Indoor PM_2.5 Exposure from Burning Solid Fuels in Vented and Unvented Stoves in a Rural Region of China with a High Incidence of Lung Cancer

Abstract

The combustion of biomass and coal is the dominant source of household air pollution (HAP) in China, and contributes significantly to the total burden of disease in the Chinese population. To characterize HAP exposure related to solid fuel use and ventilation patterns, an exposure assessment study of 163 nonsmoking female heads of households enrolled from 30 villages was conducted in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, two neighboring rural counties with high incidence of lung cancer due to the burning of smoky coal (a bituminous coal, which in health evaluations is usually compared to smokeless coal—an anthracite coal available in some parts of the area). Personal and indoor 24-h PM2.5 samples were collected over two consecutive days in each household, with approximately one-third of measurements retaken in a second season. The overall geometric means (GM) of personal PM2.5 concentrations in Xuanwei and Fuyuan were 166 [Geometric Standard Deviation (GSD):2.0] and 146 (GSD:1.9) μg/m3, respectively, which were similar to the indoor PM2.5 air concentrations [GM(GSD):162 (2.1) and 136 (2.0) μg/m3, respectively]. Personal PM2.5 was moderately highly correlated with indoor PM2.5 (Spearman r = 0.70, p < 0.0001). Burning wood or plant materials (tobacco stems, corncobs etc.) resulted in the highest personal PM2.5 concentrations (GM:289 and 225 μg/m3, respectively), followed by smoky coal, and smokeless coal (GM:148 and 115 μg/m3, respectively). PM2.5 levels of vented stoves were 34–80% lower than unvented stoves and firepits across fuel types. Mixed effect models indicated that fuel type, ventilation, number of windows, season, and burning time per stove were the main factors related to personal PM2.5 exposure. Lower PM2.5 among vented stoves compared with unvented stoves and firepits is of interest as it parallels the observation of reduced risks of malignant and nonmalignant lung diseases in the region.

Outdoor, indoor, and personal black carbon exposure from cookstoves burning solid fuels

“…Measurements of PM 2.5 and PAH have been described previously (Downward et al, 2014b; Hu et al, 2014) By matching PM 2.5 and PAH measurements to absorbance measurements collected on the same day, we assessed the interrelationship between PM abs and other air pollution components.…”

“…Previous research has identified that household air pollution (HAP) related to smoky coal use (when compared to smokeless coal) contains relatively high amounts of particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) (Downward et al, 2014b; Hu et al, 2014). However, exposure to these compounds alone appears to be insufficient to explain the lung cancer risk in the area, requiring the consideration of alternative pollutants.…”

“…In Xuanwei and Fuyuan, solid fuels were historically burnt in unvented firepits while recent decades have seen the implementation of stove improvements, particularly the installation of fixed stoves attached to chimneys, aimed at increasing burning efficiency and passively venting fuel emissions outdoors. These improved stoves have been associated with reduced PM 2.5 and PAH air concentrations (Downward et al, 2014b; Hu et al, 2014; Tian et al, 2009) in addition to reductions in both malignant and non-malignant lung disease (Chapman et al, 2005; Hosgood et al, 2008; Lan et al, 2002; Lee et al, 2010; Shen et al, 2009). However, as the stove improvements carried out in Xuanwei and Fuyuan were focussed upon the installation of fixed cook-stoves with attached chimneys and did not include fan-forced ventilation, it is unclear whether a reduction in indoor BC levels would be achieved.…”

The spatial-temporal characteristics and health impacts of ambient fine particulate matter in China

“…Studies have examined the health effects of PM 2.5 (Hu et al, 2012;Huang et al, 2012;Yang et al, 2012;Hu et al, 2014), but these previous investigations studied either a single city or a single health impact indicator. In our study, we examined four health endpoints: premature mortality, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic bronchitis.…”

Adverse effects of coal combustion related fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

“…Coal combustion related PM 2.5 has been suggested to be toxic for the human health. Combustion of coal was associated with increased mortality, pulmonary inflammation, or lung cancer (Laden et al, 2000;Liberda and Chen, 2013;Hu et al, 2014). Indoor coal combustion related PM 2.5 might have contributed to the adverse effects on lung function found in adult residents in Southwest China (Jie et al, 2014).…”