The state of indoor air quality in Pakistan—a review

Colbeck, I.; Nasir, Zaheer Ahmad; Ali, Zulfıqar

doi:10.1007/s11356-010-0293-3

Cited by 55 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Indoor aerosol size and composition largely depend on the in-situ emission source, such as cooking, cleaning, or heating (Wallace, 1996;Hussein et al, 2006;Colbeck et al, 2010;Hsu et al, 2012). However, when indoor sources are absent, indoor aerosol concentrations correlate strongly to those outdoors .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformations of Aerosol Particles from an Outdoor to Indoor Environment

Talbot

Kubelová

Makeš

et al. 2017

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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Aerosol particle size and chemical composition during summer and winter were investigated in this study. An automated switching valve allowed for indoor and outdoor environments to be sampled near-simultaneously with the same high temporal-resolution instrumentation. During the study, no known indoor sources were present and the sampled room was unoccupied throughout.Accumulation mode indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios were substantially lower in winter than in summer. This reduction was attributed to particles of outdoor origin shrinking as they entered the warmer and drier indoor environment. An essential factor in this process appeared to be the difference (gradient) between the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor and outdoor environments during the winter. Online aerosol mass spectrometer measurements recorded a 34-38% decrease in I/O ratios for all nonrefractory species during the winter relative to the summer. A similar change in I/O ratios for all species indicated that physical, rather than chemical, processes were responsible.To assess the relative influence of various physical factors on I/O relationships, Spearman rank statistical tests were carried out. These identified wind speed to be negatively correlated to the indoor concentrations for all species. Wind roses incorporating I/O ratios were applied and showed that the wind speed and direction influenced the changes in the indoor composition. The relative outdoor concentration of different aerosol species, steepness of the I/O temperature gradient, and wind speed variability are concluded to be essential factors in I/O aerosol transformations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformations of Aerosol Particles from an Outdoor to Indoor Environment

Talbot

Kubelová

Makeš

et al. 2017

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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“…Many studies have shown that concentrations of pollutants in the indoor environment are often higher than those typically encountered outdoors, while the estimated risk to human health from indoor sources is about 1000 times higher than the one resulting from exposure to outdoor pollutants (Colbeck et al, 2010a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Airborne Microflora in the Indoor Micro-Environments of Residential Houses of Lahore, Pakistan

Sidra

Ali

Sultan

et al. 2015

Aerosol Air Qual. Res.

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The presence of micro-organisms in air is taken for granted, but understanding the identities, distribution and abundance of airborne micro-organisms remains in its infancy. Indoor exposure to micro-organisms has been related to range of adverse health outcomes. The indoor levels of particulate matter and bioaerosols were monitored in thirty houses across Lahore, Pakistan. Two DustTrak aerosol monitors (model 8520, TSI Inc.) were run simultaneously in the kitchens and living rooms of the selected sites to measure fine particulate matter. At the same time, agar coated petri plates were exposed face upwards for twenty minutes to sample the micro-organisms present in surrounding air of both micro-environments. A total of 7 bacterial species and 11 fungal species were identified including Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp. and Serratia spp. while the predominant fungal species were Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus spp. The concentrations (cfu m ranged between 236 and 1887 in the kitchen and from 315 to 1887 in the living room. A seasonal variation in bioaerosols was evident in the kitchens while being not so pronounced in the living rooms. A linear regression model showed a direct association of temperature with bacteria and fine particulate matter but not with fungi. Ventilation was also observed to have a significant impact upon PM levels. Out of 30 households sixteen had the presence of at least one individual with allergenic reactions. These findings highlight the enhanced risk of exposure to fine particulate matter as well as bioaerosols in the urban residential built environment in Pakistan.

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“…The likely reason is the better cooking efficiency of wood in comparison to dung and crop residue. Stove at waist height reduces direct exposure of cook leaning over fire (0,90,10) 3.4 Awareness and use of methods to reduce exposure to biomass fuel smoke A vast majority (87%) was aware of some methods to reduce indoor air pollution exposure. Their awareness was matched against the intervention methods mentioned previously -i.e., changing the source of pollution, improvement in the cooking environment and modifying the user behaviour ( Table 4).…”

Section: Awareness Of Health Impacts Of Cooking Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the Pakistan Strategic Country Environmental Assessment by the World Bank [9], indoor air pollution accounts for 28,000 deaths per year and 40 million cases of acute respiratory illness. Despite the mounting evidence that indoor pollution poses a significant health impact, the problem has received relatively little attention from government and academics and studies on levels of indoor air pollution in Pakistani households are scant [10][11][12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethno-Environmental Knowledge as A Tool to Combat Indoor Air Pollution in Low Income Countries: A Case Study from Rural Communities in Pakistan

Nasir

Colbeck

Bharucha

et al. 2014

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Abstract:It has recently been estimated that 4 million deaths each year are associated with air pollution originating from household solid fuel use. Interventions to reduce biomass fuel-related emissions can yield a diverse stream of benefits including improved public health, socio-economic development, reduced land degradation and climate change mitigation. This study investigates the use of indigenous knowledge to inform interventions to combat indoor air pollution at a rural site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The results indicate that the majority of people using biomass fuel had knowledge of its ill health effects. A range of methods were utilised to reduce indoor smoke including cooking in open spaces, use of chimneys, better ventilation and use of dry fuel. Education and housing type showed a statistically significant relationship with awareness of methods to reduce indoor exposure to biomass smoke. These findings lend support to the notion that communities have indigenous knowledge and their own methods to reduce exposure to indoor smoke from biomass fuels; this knowledge can be used as tool to design and implement sustainable intervention strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to indoor air pollution. It is recommended that a community based intervention focusing on locally manufactured improved stoves and better designed cooking spaces would be a suitable intervention in this region.

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The state of indoor air quality in Pakistan—a review

Cited by 55 publications

References 49 publications

Transformations of Aerosol Particles from an Outdoor to Indoor Environment

Transformations of Aerosol Particles from an Outdoor to Indoor Environment

Assessment of Airborne Microflora in the Indoor Micro-Environments of Residential Houses of Lahore, Pakistan

Ethno-Environmental Knowledge as A Tool to Combat Indoor Air Pollution in Low Income Countries: A Case Study from Rural Communities in Pakistan

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