Impact of improved biomass cookstoves on indoor air quality near Pune, India

Abstract

To reduce the impact of indoor air pollution and improve fuel efficiency, the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI), in conjunction with ten non-governmental organizations, helped establish rural enterprises that subsequently distributed 30,000 improved cement cookstoves in Maharashtra, India, between August 2004 and December 2005. In a subset of these households (n = 110), ARTI undertook a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the improved Laxmi (vented) and Bhagyalaxmi (unvented) stoves on indoor air quality. Measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) were taken for a 48-hour period in kitchens before and after installation of improved stoves. One year after the installation of the improved stoves, the 48-hr mean CO concentration was reduced, on average, by 39% for the Laxmi and 38% for the Bhagyalaxmi. Similarly, the 48-hr mean PM 2.5 concentration was reduced, on average, by 24% for the Laxmi and 49% for the Bhagyalaxmi. Key challenges during the monitoring were: (1) motivating household members to purchase the improved cookstoves (ICSs); (2) ensuring that the households made the transition to using the ICSs; and (3) maintaining high standards of data quality as a field team. Despite the challenges, the importance of monitoring and evaluation remains critical in verifying the benefits of improved stove designs. Building on the lessons that we have learned, future efforts will focus on monitoring and evaluating fewer villages to concentrate resources, establishing a stronger rapport with study participants, and better understanding the dynamics of stove adoption in each home. Our hope is that this experience will aid other organizations in the design of their own ICS monitoring and evaluation programs.