Household air pollution and the integrated exposure-response function for the global burden of disease estimates

Abstract

S12: Estimating the Global Risk and Burden of Particulate Air Pollution Exposure: Issues and Challenges, Beatrix Theater, August 28, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Nearly 3 billion people worldwide, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, continue to burn solid fuels (e.g., wood, charcoal, animal dung, crop waste) for cooking and heating needs. The resulting household air pollution includes pollutants such as particulate matter and carbon monoxide and contributes to both indoor and ambient pollution. The integrated exposure-response function for the global burden of disease estimates was originally developed to fill a gap in the evidence on the adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the range of concentrations where exposure to household air pollution often exists – lower than active smoking and higher than ambient air pollution. At the time, limited evidence on health effects existed specifically from studies of household air pollution. Since its initial use in the global burden of disease estimates, the integrated exposure-response function has evolved, as has the evidence on the adverse effects of household air pollution. The current state of the evidence for household air pollution will be discussed. Further, the question of whether a single risk function for PM2.5, based on either the integrated exposure-response concept or based on ambient air pollution estimates, should be used to quantify the effects of both ambient and household air pollution will be explored.