Addressing the Burden of Disease Attributable to Air Pollution in India: The Need to Integrate across Household and Ambient Air Pollution Exposures

January 3, 2014 · 0 comments

Editorial – Addressing the Burden of Disease Attributable to Air Pollution in India: The Need to Integrate across Household and Ambient Air Pollution Exposures. Environmental Health Perspective, Jan 2014.

Kalpana Balakrishnan, Aaron Cohen and Kirk R. Smith

In the comparative risk assessment (Lim et al. 2012), performed as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 Project, air pollution ranked as a leading contributor to the burden of disease in South Asia. Estimates of the burden in India show approximately 1.04 million premature deaths and 31.4 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to be attributable to household air pollution (HAP) resulting from solid cooking fuels, and 627,000 premature deaths and nearly 17.8 million DALYs to be attributable to ambient air pollution (AAP) in the form of fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5). HAP and AAP account for 6% and 3%, respectively, of the total national burden of disease, and together they exceed the burden from any other risk factor of the > 60 examined. This burden, borne disproportionately by poor populations who rely on solid fuels for cooking, poses an enormous challenge for air quality management within public health programs in India. There is a need to integrate research and intervention across HAP and AAP exposures in India in order to reduce disease burdens and to efficiently improve health by using intervention efforts.

The HAP exposure model used in GBD 2010 (based on measurements and modeling results from India) estimated daily average PM2.5 exposures of 285 µg/m3, 337 µg/m3, and 204 µg/m3 for children, women, and men, respectively (Balakrishnan et al. 2013). The global model used for AAP exposures (which for the first time included ambient air quality of rural areas) estimated a 2010 population-weighted annual mean PM2.5 of 27.2 µg/m3 in India, up 6% from 1990, with a distribution that included much higher levels in urban and some rural areas (Brauer et al. 2012). These estimates, which significantly exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guideline (AQG) levels (WHO 2006), underscore the interrelated contribution of these HAP and AAP exposures to the burden of disease in India.

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Numbers don’t lie: New monitoring devices measure the impact of improved cookstoves

January 3, 2014 · 0 comments

Numbers don’t lie: New monitoring devices measure the impact of improved cookstoves | Source, complete article: Rob Goodier, Engineering for Change, Dec 29, 2013 |

Excerpts – How can stove developers learn about cooks in the millions of other open-fire kitchens worldwide? And how much, if at all, are the stoves reducing air pollution and fuel consumption? New monitoring technologies coming online now may have some answers.

Stove sensors and air testers
Businesses and universities are incorporating low-cost cell phone technology and high-priced proprietary instruments into stove sensors and air quality testers. A $75 wireless device by the non-profit technology company Nexleaf Analytics latches to the stove and records when it is in use. It sends its data wirelessly using a cheap built-in cell phone. If you know what the stove is cooking with, the company’s analytic software can estimate the amount of fuel consumed.

Personal particle sensors
Smoky cooking fires are thought to kill 2 million people per year, according to the World Health Organization. That bird’s eye estimate doesn’t take into account the conditions of individual kitchens or the behavior of each cook. RTI International is developing wearable particle sensors to help understand how stoves and fires can affect our health. The MicroPEM, a device the size of a smartphone, measures particles in the air that are smaller than 15,000 µg / m3. Using acceleration sensors, the device also records the wearer’s movements to predict how fast they are breathing.

“Health impacts from air pollutants are not just based on the concentrations in the environment, but on how much of the pollutant is actually inhaled,” Charles Rodes, who is leading the project, said in a statement. “For the first time, with MicroPEM technology, we can now estimate how much of a pollutant is actually making it into the respiratory system.”

Rhodes received a $2 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a children’s version of the sensor. He is now working on slimming down the MicroPEM to make it suitable for children and more easily tolerated by adults. He also hopes to bring the cost down to $2000 each.

 

 

EPA/Winrock webinar on Key Factors Influencing Adoption

January 3, 2014 · 0 comments

On November 21st, 2013 Winrock International and the U.S. EPA hosted a webinar titled “Key Factors Influencing Adoption.” Dr. Elisa Puzzolo from the World Health Organization and Dr. Debbi Stanistreet from The University of Liverpool presented findings from the recently released systematic review Factors influencing the large-scale uptake by households of cleaner and more efficient household energy technologies.

This review describes and assesses the importance of different enabling and limiting factors that have been found to influence the large-scale uptake by households of cleaner and more efficient household energy technologies. These comprise 5 intervention areas: improved solid fuel cookstoves (ICS) and 4 clean fuels, i.e., liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biogas, solar cookers and alcohol fuels. In total the review selected 101 eligible studies across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Findings draw on experience from some large-scale programs including the Indian and Chinese national improved stove programs, the national mega-conversion from kerosene to LPG in Indonesia and the Brazilian LPG experience, but mainly stem from much smaller-scale projects and initiatives.

Chemical characterization and source apportionment of household fine particulate matter in rural, peri-urban, and urban West Africa

December 31, 2013 · 0 comments

Chemical characterization and source apportionment of household fine particulate matter in rural, peri-urban, and urban West Africa. Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Dec 18.

Zhou Z, et al.

Household air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions is an important cause of disease burden. Little is known about the chemical composition and sources of household air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa, and how they differ between rural and urban homes. We analyzed the chemical composition and sources of fine particles (PM2.5) in household cooking areas of multiple neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, and in a peri-urban (Banjul) and a rural (Basse) area in The Gambia.

In Accra, biomass burning accounted for 39-62% of total PM2.5 mass in the cooking area in different neighborhoods; the absolute contributions were 10-45 μg/m3. Road dust and vehicle emissions comprised 12-33% of PM2.5 mass. Solid waste burning was also a significant contributor to household PM2.5 in a low-income neighborhood but not for those living in better-off areas.

In Banjul and Basse, biomass burning was the single dominant source of cooking-area PM2.5, accounting for 74-87% of its total mass; the relative and absolute contributions of biomass smoke to PM2.5 mass was larger in households that used firewood than in those using charcoal, reaching as high as 463 μg/m3 in Basse homes that used biomass for cooking. Our findings demonstrate the need for policies that enhance access to cleaner fuels in both rural and urban areas, and for controlling traffic emissions in cities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda

December 31, 2013 · 0 comments

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10(12).

Stephanie L. Martin, et al.

Household air pollution from cooking with biomass fuels negatively impacts maternal and child health and the environment, and contributes to the global burden of disease. In Uganda, nearly 20,000 young children die of household air pollution-related pneumonia every year. Qualitative research was used to identify behavioral determinants related to the acquisition and use of improved cookstoves in peri-urban Uganda. Results were used to design a behavior change strategy for the introduction of a locally-fabricated top-lit updraft gasifier (TLUD) stove in Wakiso district.

A theoretical framework—opportunity, ability, and motivation—was used to guide the research and behavior change strategy development. Participants consistently cited financial considerations as the most influential factor related to improved cookstove acquisition and use. In contrast, participants did not prioritize the potential health benefits of improved cookstoves. The theoretical framework, research methodology, and behavior change strategy design process can be useful for program planners and researchers interested in identifying behavioral determinants and designing and evaluating improved cookstove interventions.

How clean cookstoves are helping improve grades in Uganda

December 31, 2013 · 0 comments

How clean cookstoves are helping improve grades in Uganda | Complete article/video: The Charcoal Project, Dec 2013.

Three years ago The Charcoal Project was approached by a schoolmaster in Uganda looking for help to reduce the increasingly high cost of purchasing the woodfuel needed to cook the meals for his 600-plus boarding students.

Henry Twinemasiko, the school director and founder of the Rubaare Education Foundation, runs six schools in southwestern Uganda where he provides free or subsidized education to orphans and children of very poor families.

But when we met Henry, the combined cost of rising petrol and the increasing distances the schools beat-up truck had to travel to buy firewood (the district’s firewood supply having long been depleted), was forcing Henry to make painful choices between cutting scholarships for needy children and purchasing fuel to cook their meals.

Three years later, thanks to an array of generous donations, The Charcoal Project and Henry’s REF schools have come up with a solution that is gaining greater attention across the country: produce woodfuel substitute from agricultural waste and retrofit the schools with more energy efficient stoves. The result is that REF schools have reduced their fuel costs by around forty percent, making it possible for Henry to provide more scholarships and aid to more students.

An Intervention That Works

The TCP – REF model (which we call BEEP, for Biomass Energy Efficiency Project), is today being endorsed by groups like GVEP, which recently convened a gathering of school administrators, improved cookstove manufacturers, financial services providers, and government authorities. According to a recent item in GVEP’s newsletter:

A recent study commissioned by GVEP in (Uganda’s) Wakiso district shows that schools spend up to 400,000 UGX (US$158) per month on fuel for cooking meals and heating water, with urban schools spending twice this amount. This puts significant strain on parents, contributing to the financial pressure that causes some of them to withdraw their children from school prematurely.

Feedback from some of the schools that have adopted improved cookstoves says that the cost of buying firewood have decreased by 50%. Dr John Muyingo, minister was present at the event and praised GVEP for encouraging this initiative. In addition to saving money, the interviewed schools reported a considerable reduction in the amount of smoke in the kitchens, which results in a healthier environment for their employees. Furthermore, the time used for cooking is reduced significantly, resulting in students being able to attend their classes without the periodic meal interruptions caused by cooking delays.


 

 

Land use change, fuel use and respiratory health in Uganda

December 26, 2013 · 0 comments

Land use change, fuel use and respiratory health in Uganda. Energy Policy, Dec 2013.

Pamela Jagger, et al.

This paper examines how biomass supply and consumption are affected by land use change in Uganda. We find that between 2007 and 2012 there was a 22% reduction in fuelwood sourced from proximate forests, and an 18% increase in fuelwood sourced from fallows and other areas with lower biomass availability and quality. We estimate a series of panel regression models and find that deforestation has a negative effect on total fuel consumed. We also find that access to forests, whether through ownership or proximity, plays a large role in determining fuel use. We then explore whether patterns of biomass fuel consumption are related to the incidence of acute respiratory infection using a cross-sectional data set of 1209 women and 598 children. We find a positive and significant relationship between ARI and the quantity of fuelwood from non-forest areas; a 100 kg increase in fuelwood sourced from a non-forest area results in a 2.4% increase in the incidence of ARI for children. We find the inverse effect of increased reliance on crop residues. As deforestation reduces the availability of high quality fuelwood, rural households may experience higher incidence of health problems associated with exposure to biomass burning.

Emission characteristics of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in cow dung combustion

December 17, 2013 · 0 comments

Environ Sci Technol. 2013 Nov

Emission characteristics of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in cow dung combustion.

Park D, Barabad ML, Lee G, Kwon SB, Cho Y, Lee D, Cho K, Lee K.

Biomass fuel is used for cooking and heating, especially in developing countries. Combustion of biomass fuel can generate high levels of indoor air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study characterized PM and VOC emissions from cow dung combustion in a controlled experiment. Dung from grass-fed cows was dried and combusted using a dual-cone calorimeter. Heat fluxes of 10, 25, and 50 kW/m(2) were applied.

The concentrations of PM and VOCs were determined using a dust spectrometer and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, respectively. PM and VOC emission factors were much higher for the lower heat flux, implying a fire ignition stage. When the heat flux was 50 kW/m(2), the CO2 emission factor was highest and the PM and VOC emission factors were lowest. Particle concentrations were highest in the 0.23-0.3 μm size range at heat fluxes of 25 and 50 kW/m(2).

Various toxic VOCs, including acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, benzene, and toluene, were detected at high concentrations. Although PM and VOC emission factors at 50 kW/m(2) were lower, they were high enough to cause extremely high indoor air pollution. The characteristics of PM and VOC emissions from cow dung combustion indicated potential health effects of indoor air pollution in developing countries.

Exposure of Pregnant Women to Cookstove Related Household Air Pollution

December 17, 2013 · 0 comments

Arch Environ Occup Health. 2013 Nov 12.

Exposure of Pregnant Women to Cookstove Related Household Air Pollution in Urban and Peri-Urban Trujillo, Peru.

Helen GS, Aguilar-Villalobos M, Adetona O, Cassidy B, Bayer CW, Hendry R, Hall DB, Naeher LP.

While evidence suggests associations between maternal exposure to air pollution and adverse birth outcomes, pregnant women’s exposure to household air pollution in developing countries is understudied. Personal exposures of pregnant women (n = 100) in Trujillo, Peru to air pollutants and their indoor concentrations were measured. The effects of stove-use related characteristics and ambient air pollution on exposure were determined using mixed-effects models.

Significant differences in 48-hr kitchen concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were observed across fuel-types (p < 0.05). Geometric mean PM2.5 concentrations were 112 μg/m 3 (CLs: 52, 242 μg/m3) and 42 μg/m3 (21, 82 μg/m3) in homes were wood and gas were used respectively. PM2.5 exposure was at levels which recent exposure-response analyses suggest may not result in substantial reduction in health risks even in homes where cleaner burning gas stoves were used.

Smoke hoods: a better way out

December 17, 2013 · 0 comments

Smoke hoods: a better way out. DEMAND, 1(1) 2013.

MB Malla, et al.

This article begins on page 24 of the DEMAND journal.

Smoke hoods are a solution to pervasive indoor air pollution. But not every design works under every condition.  One of the major goals of Healthy Hoods was to establish sustainable financing so that the project was not dependent on subsidies. Working with early adopters is very important in creating demand. Installing smoke hoods in community leaders’ homes provided an opportunity for other residents to observe the benefits of the hoods. This in turn triggered an increase in demand of the hoods. Mobilization of female community health volunteers was very helpful in disseminating messages across rural communities.

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