Seasonal variation in outdoor, indoor, and personal air pollution exposures of women using wood stoves in the Tibetan Plateau: Baseline assessment for an energy intervention study. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ni, Kun; Carter, Ellison; Schauer, James J.; Ezzati, Majid; Zhang, Yuanxun; Niu, Hongjiang; Lai, Alexandra M.; Shan, Ming; Wang, Yuqin; Yang, Xudong; Baumgartner, Jill
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 94(2016:Sep.)
• Page Start: 449
• Page End: 457
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: Carbon monoxide -- China -- Energy -- Exposure -- Household air pollution -- Nitrogen oxides -- Particulate matter -- Tibetan Plateau; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.05.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: Cooking and heating with coal and biomass is the main source of household air pollution in China and a leading contributor to disease burden. As part of a baseline assessment for a household energy intervention program, we enrolled 205 adult women cooking with biomass fuels in Sichuan, China and measured their 48-h personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in winter and summer. We also measured the indoor 48-h PM2.5 concentrations in their homes and conducted outdoor PM2.5 measurements during 101 (74) days in summer (winter). Indoor concentrations of CO and nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2 ) were measured over 48-h in a subset of ~ 80 homes. Women's geometric mean 48-h exposure to PM2.5 was 80 μg/m 3 (95% CI: 74, 87) in summer and twice as high in winter (169 μg/m 3 (95% CI: 150, 190), with similar seasonal trends for indoor PM2.5 concentrations (winter: 252 μg/m 3 ; 95% CI: 215, 295; summer: 101 μg/m 3 ; 95% CI: 91, 112). We found a moderately strong relationship between indoor PM2.5 and CO (r = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.72), and a weak correlation between personal PM2.5 and CO (r = 0.41, 95% CI: − 0.02, 0.71). NO2 /NO ratios were higher in summer (range: 0.01 to 0.68) than in winter (range: 0 to 0.11), suggesting outdoor formation of NO2 via reaction of NO with ozone is a more important source of NO2 than biomass combustion indoors. The predictors of women's personal exposure to PM2.5 differed by season. In winter, our results show that primary heating with a low-polluting fuel (i.e., electric stove or wood-charcoal) and more frequent kitchen ventilation could reduce personal PM2.5 exposures. In summer, primary use of a gaseous fuel or electricity for cooking and reducing exposure to outdoor PM2.5 would likely have the greatest impacts on personal PM2.5 exposure. Highlights: Household air pollution exposures for adult women in rural China double in winter relative to summer. In winter, primary heating with electricity or wood-charcoal and more frequent kitchen ventilation could reduce PM2.5 exposures. In summer, primary use of a gaseous fuel or electricity for cooking and reducing exposure to outdoor PM2.5 could reduce PM2.5 exposures.