Abstract
Despite the considerable cost associated with estimating household emissions from solid fuel, which are frequently undetected by air quality monitoring systems, compiling such an inventory is critical to identifying the link between indoor pollution and health effects. Therefore, this study used the UP Diliman dilution tunnel system (UPDDTS) to characterize the composition of particulate matter in the smoke and quantify the PM2.5 emitted by traditional Philippine cooking systems, viz., a charcoal-burning cement stove (CCP), a sawdust-burning tin-can stove (KKP), a fuelwood-burning metal-grill stove (MFP), a kerosene-burning metal stove (MKP), and a charcoal-burning metal-grill stove (MCC). Forty-three sampling tests revealed that water-soluble K+ (23.0 ± 1.9 µg m–3), Cl– (12.3 ± 1.0 µg m–3), and Na+ (43 ± 22 µg m–3) contributed to the majority of the ionic mass concentrations generated by the CCP and MKP, respectively, whereas levoglucosan—a signature of biomass burning—dominated the PM2.5-bound monosugars emitted by the KKP (78.72 ± 6.96 µg m–3), MFP (0.76 ± 0.34 µg m–3), and MCC (10.21 ± 2.64 µg m–3). The abundance of the water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in all of the samples, except those from the MKP, depended on the surface area—and thus the facet—of the fuel. Additionally, the elemental compositions of the PM2.5 from the CCP, KKP, and MCC mainly consisted of Pb (1.96 ± 1.04 to 76.02 ± 151.42 ng min–1), but those for the MFP and KKP primarily contained Cu (2.23 ± 1.18 ng min–1) and As (5.51 ± 1.08 ng min–1), respectively. The PM2.5 emission rates exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO)’s emission rate target guideline for ventilated conditions (0.8 mg min–1) by 1.9 × 106 to 23 × 106 mg min–1, and the highest PM2.5 emission factor, 0.032 ± 0.016 kg-PM2.5 kg-fuel–1 y–1, which was exhibited by the MKP, surpassed values in the literature by three orders of magnitude.
Highlights
Household energy use remains to be directly linked to health risks, since people have always relied on cookstoves and fuels of varying quality for daily supply of food, while smoke emitted from the use of these cookstoves and fuels can compromise indoor air quality
A few studies that focused on household exposures from cooking in low-income countries have been conducted in the past, such as one by Saksena et al (2007) where 120 houses were subjected to a socioeconomic survey and 30 houses were sampled for carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM)
By employing a UP Diliman dilution tunnel system (UPDDTS) to sample different cooking systems in the Philippines, we have obtained some of the first measurements and chemical analyses of localized emissions— those generated by cooking with commonly used household fuels and grilling chicken in the style of commercial rotisseries—that affect developing Asian cities
Summary
Household energy use remains to be directly linked to health risks, since people have always relied on cookstoves and fuels of varying quality for daily supply of food, while smoke emitted from the use of these cookstoves and fuels can compromise indoor air quality. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), there are around 3 billion people that still rely on wood, coal, charcoal, or animal waste for cooking and space heating (UN, 2018) This translates to about 4.3 million premature deaths in 2012 globally due to household air pollution from using solid fuels for household energy, with the highest percentage in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (UN, 2018). In the Philippines, traditional cookstoves such as cement stoves and Aerosol and Air Quality Research | https://aaqr.org metal grills, both of which use either charcoal or fuelwood, are still ubiquitous These traditional cookstoves are used for tenderizing meat, low-cost cooking (usually by the underprivileged sector who cannot afford cleaner cookstoves), small-scale income generation, meat-grilling, or cooking daily household food. There is a need to create such awareness for the general public and policy makers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
