Household cooking fuel hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide emissions from stalks, coal and biogas

Abstract

The indoor air pollution resulting from combustion of household cooking and heating fuels is increasingly recognized as a major detrimental influence on health. A pilot-scale study of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide concentrations in cooking areas was conducted in Henan Province, People's Republic of China. Data were collected in cooking areas utilizing crop stalks, coal, and biogas generated from family-scale anaerobic digesters and a large, distillery residue system. Although biogas was not scrubbed in any case, no recordable levels of hydrogen sulfide were detected in any of the areas. Sulfur dioxide levels in cooking areas where coal and stalks were used were found to average about four times higher than for biogas. The differences were statistically significant for coal but not for stalks. Problems and considerations for related studies and the aspects of biogas in ameliorating indoor air pollution are discussed.