Biomass fuel use and the exposure of children to particulate air pollution in southern Nepal

May 21, 2014 · 0 comments

Biomass fuel use and the exposure of children to particulate air pollution in southern Nepal. Environ Int. May 2014; 66(100): 79–87.

Authors: D. Devakumar, et al.

The exposure of children to air pollution in low resource settings is believed to be high because of the common use of biomass fuels for cooking. We used microenvironment sampling to estimate the respirable fraction of air pollution (particles with median diameter less than 4 μm) to which 7–9 year old children in southern Nepal were exposed. Sampling was conducted for a total 2649 h in 55 households, 8 schools and 8 outdoor locations of rural Dhanusha. We conducted gravimetric and photometric sampling in a subsample of the children in our study in the locations in which they usually resided (bedroom/living room, kitchen, veranda, in school and outdoors), repeated three times over one year. Using time activity information, a 24-hour time weighted average was modeled for all the children in the study. Approximately two-thirds of homes used biomass fuels, with the remainder mostly using gas. The exposure of children to air pollution was very high. The 24-hour time weighted average over the whole year was 168 μg/m3. The non-kitchen related samples tended to show approximately double the concentration in winter than spring/autumn, and four times that of the monsoon season. There was no difference between the exposure of boys and girls. Air pollution in rural households was much higher than the World Health Organization and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nepal recommendations for particulate exposure.

May 16, 2014, WASHplus Weekly – Cookstoves & Behavior Change

May 16, 2014 · 0 comments

Issue 146 | May 16, 2014 | Focus on Clean Cookstoves and Behavior Change

This issue of WASHplus Weekly highlights recent reports, papers, webinars, and presentations that help broaden and further understanding of the potential of behavior change in the clean cooking sector. Resources identify strategies to promote behavior change with the goal of enhancing clean cookstove acquisition as well as correct and consistent use.

REPORTS

The Kaleidoscope of Cooking: Understanding Cooking Behaviour and Stove Preferences in Rural India, 2014. GIZ. (Link)
This study conducted an empirical comparative evaluation of six different types of improved cookstove (ICS) models. Users perceived ICS to be superior to traditional cookstoves, and they liked their portability, reduced fuel consumption, lower smoke emissions, and aesthetics. However, households also suggested several improvements: accommodating a larger range of local fuels, making the cooking experience easier, and reducing the cooking time required.

PAPERS

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries: A Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 11(5), 2014. B Barnes. (Link)
A review of published studies spanning 1983–2013 suggests that behavioral change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution (IAP) exposure by 20 percent to 98 percent in laboratory settings and 31 percent to 94 percent in field settings. However, the evidence is based on studies that are methodologically weak and have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioral change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce IAP exposure in developing countries.

How do People in Rural India Perceive Improved Stoves and Clean Fuel?  Evidence from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2014. V Bhojvaid. (Link)
This paper presents evidence from a TRAction- (Translating Research into Action) funded study in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Researchers at Duke University investigated barriers and facilitators to ICS adoption as well as their correct and sustained use.

The Effect of Marketing Messages, Liquidity Constraints, and Household Bargaining on Willingness to Pay for a Nontraditional Cookstove, 2014. T Beltramo, CEGA Working Papers. (Link)
This paper is the result of a project partially funded by the TRAction project in partnership with Impact Carbon and University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business. The focus is on strategies to increase consumers’ willingness to pay for an improved cookstove.

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Household air quality risk factors associated with childhood pneumonia in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh

May 14, 2014 · 0 comments

Household air quality risk factors associated with childhood pneumonia in urban dhaka, bangladesh. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 May.

Authors: Ram PK, et al.

Abstract. To inform interventions to reduce the high burden of pneumonia in urban settings such as Kamalapur, Bangladesh, we evaluated household air quality risk factors for radiographically confirmed pneumonia in children. In 2009-2010, we recruited children < 5 years of age with pneumonia and controls from a population-based surveillance for respiratory and febrile illnesses. Piped natural gas was used by 85% of 331 case and 91% of 663 control households.

Crowding, a tin roof in the living space, low socioeconomic status, and male sex of the child were risk factors for pneumonia. The living space in case households was 28% less likely than in control households to be cross-ventilated. Particulate matter concentrations were not significantly associated with pneumonia. With increasing urbanization and supply of improved cooking fuels to urban areas, the high burden of respiratory illnesses in urban populations such as Kamalapur may be reduced by decreasing crowding and improving ventilation in living spaces.

Aprovecho – How to Achieve 45% Thermal Efficiency

May 14, 2014 · 0 comments

TRAction/WASHplus webinar – Behavior change approaches for clean cookstoves and fuels

May 9, 2014 · 0 comments

Maternal exposure to biomass smoke and carbon monoxide in relation to adverse pregnancy outcome

May 6, 2014 · 0 comments

Maternal exposure to biomass smoke and carbon monoxide in relation to adverse pregnancy outcome in two high altitude cities of Peru. Environ Res. 2014 Apr;130:29-33. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.01.008.

Yucra S1, Tapia V1, Steenland K2, Naeher LP3, Gonzales GF1.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to pollution from biomass fuel has been associated with low birthweight in some studies. Few studies have included exposure-response analyses.

METHOD: We conducted a case-control study of biomass fuel use and reproductive outcome at high altitude in Peru. Cases (n=101) were full term births who were SGA (birth weight <10th percentile for gestational age). Controls (n=101) had a birthweight ≥10th percentile, and were matched to cases on birth week and residence. Biomass fuel use during pregnancy was determined by questionnaire. Carbon monoxide (CO) in the kitchen was measured in a subgroup (n=72). Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of biofuel and CO on the risk of SGA, controlling for maternal education and parity.

RESULTS: Among cases, 30%, 27% and 44% used gas, gas+biomass, and biomass, respectively, while the figures for controls were 39%, 33%, and 29%. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for biomass fuel alone compared with gas alone was 4.5 (95% CI: 1.3, 15.5, p=0.02), while the OR for biomass+gas vs. gas alone was 2.1 (0.80-5.5) (p=0.13). Among the subgroup with measured CO, the mean 48-h kitchen CO levels were 4.8, 2.2 and 0.4ppm for biofuel only, biofuel+gas, and gas respectively. ORs by increasing tertile of CO level were 1.0, 1.16, and 3.53 (test for trend, p=0.02). The exposure-response trend corresponds well with one other study with analogous data.

CONCLUSION: Despite limited sample size, our data suggest that maternal exposure to biomass smoke and CO, at high altitude, is associated with SGA among term births.

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries

May 6, 2014 · 0 comments

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries: A Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2014, 11(5), 4607-4618.

Brendon R. Barnes

Indoor air pollution caused by the indoor burning of solid biomass fuels has been associated with Acute Respiratory Infections such as pneumonia amongst children of less than five years of age. Behavioural change interventions have been identified as a potential strategy to reduce child indoor air pollution exposure, yet very little is known about the impact of behavioural change interventions to reduce indoor air pollution. Even less is known about how behaviour change theory has been incorporated into indoor air pollution behaviour change interventions.

A review of published studies spanning 1983–2013 suggests that behavioural change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure by 20%–98% in laboratory settings and 31%–94% in field settings. However, the evidence is: (1) based on studies that are methodologically weak; and (2) have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioural change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries as well as interventions that draw more strongly on existing behavioural change theory and practice.

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries

April 30, 2014 · 0 comments

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries: A Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2014, 11(5), 4607-4618.

R. Barnes, et al.

Indoor air pollution caused by the indoor burning of solid biomass fuels has been associated with Acute Respiratory Infections such as pneumonia amongst children of less than five years of age. Behavioural change interventions have been identified as a potential strategy to reduce child indoor air pollution exposure, yet very little is known about the impact of behavioural change interventions to reduce indoor air pollution. Even less is known about how behaviour change theory has been incorporated into indoor air pollution behaviour change interventions.

A review of published studies spanning 1983–2013 suggests that behavioural change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure by 20%–98% in laboratory settings and 31%–94% in field settings. However, the evidence is: (1) based on studies that are methodologically weak; and (2) have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioural change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries as well as interventions that draw more strongly on existing behavioural change theory and practice.

The Kaleidoscope of Cooking: Understanding Cooking Behaviour and Stove Preferences in Rural India

April 30, 2014 · 0 comments

The Kaleidoscope of Cooking: Understanding Cooking Behaviour and Stove Preferences in Rural India, 2014. GIZ.

This study conducted an empirical comparative evaluation of six different types of ICS models exploring the following themes:

  • main features that households like or dislike in traditional cookstoves and in ICS;
  • households’ preference for different types of cookstove technologies/models;
  • users’ preferences in different socio-economic and geographical contexts.

Users perceived ICS to be superior to traditional cookstoves and they liked their portability, reduced fuel consumption and smoke emission and aesthetics of ICS. However, households also suggested several improvements in particular regarding the ability to accommodate a larger range of local fuels, making the cooking experience easier and reducing the cooking time required. It was also evident that ICS with only one burner were not a proper replacement for the traditional cookstoves with two burners, which are commonly used.

The following main points describe users’ perception towards ICS: • Stove users’ preferences varied significantly among households. There was no clear favourite ICS model.

  • Cooking was perceived easier with ICS than with traditional cookstoves. Stove users highlighted that ICS were easy to light and that there was no need to constantly blow air for the flame to be strong. However, they did not like small combustion chambers in ICS, which filled up with ash and fuel residue very quickly.
  • Stove users appreciated the reduced fuel consumption by ICS. The majority believed that fuel consumption was significantly reduced.
  • Stove users perceived that ICS produced less smoke than traditional cookstoves; however, very often the reduction was not perceived significant.
  • Due to the availability of multiple burners, traditional cookstoves were often perceived to cook faster than a single ICS with only one burner.
  • Rural cooks did not rate stove performance based only on reduced smoke emissions and biomass consumption. Portability, aesthetics, and the ability to accommodate different types of utensils also played very important roles.

 

 

 

May 7, 2014 Webinar – Behavior change approaches to enable uptake and use of clean stoves and fuels

April 25, 2014 · 0 comments

Behavior change approaches to enable uptake and use of clean stoves and fuels: Lessons from the field on what works, what doesn’t and what’s next?

  • Register today for this TRAction and WASHplus sponsored webinar!
  • Wednesday, May 7th, 2014
  • Time: 11:30AM – 1:00PM Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Deep-rooted behaviors along the spectrum of adoption, uptake and sustained use of clean stoves and fuels are a widely recognized barrier to achieving a complete and sustained transition from inefficient polluting traditional cooking methods to a new technology. 

Three USAID TRAction (Translating Research into Action) projects were implemented to identify a set of strategies to promote behavioral change with the goal of enhancing clean cookstove acquisition and correct and consistent use.

Join TRAction and the WASHplus project to hear lessons learnt from the field on which behavior change approaches were effective and which ones showed no impact, how these lessons can be used to enhance the uptake of clean stoves and consideration of next steps to broaden and further our understanding of the potential of behavior change in the clean cooking sector.

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