Indoor Air Pollution Concentrations Assessed During the Baseline Year of an Improved Cookstove Intervention in a Rural Nicaraguan Community

Abstract

ISEE-0842 Background and Objective: Cooking in many developing countries usually consists of burning solid fuels over open fires or in traditional stoves that emit high levels of air pollutants. Some previous studies have relied on crude proxies of exposure, such as stove type. However, large variations in air pollutant concentrations have been reported within stove types. Methods: During the summer of 2008, we conducted the baseline assessment of an improved cookstove intervention among 119 households using traditional cookstoves in Granada (El Fortin neighborhood), Nicaragua. Indoor carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations were assessed for approximately 48 hours in each home. Several pollutant metrics were calculated, including 48-hr average, 24-hr average (day 1 and day 2), and 1-hr maximum (day 1 and day 2). Results: Mean 48-hr concentrations were 1478.3 μg/m3 (standard deviation [SD], 2270.7) and 26.6 ppm (SD, 24.5) for PM2.5 and CO, respectively. Mean 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations for day 1 and day 2 were 1487.1 μg/m3 and 1456.7 μg/m3, respectively; CO concentrations for day 1 and day 2 were 26.3 ppm and 26.7 ppm, respectively. The 1-hr maximum PM2.5 levels for day 1 and day 2 were 8701.5 μg/m3 and 8372.7 μg/m3, respectively; 1-hr maximum CO levels for day 1 and day 2 were 122.2 ppm and 129.8 ppm, respectively. Mean 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations for day 1 and day 2 were moderately correlated (Spearman correlation coefficients [r] = 0.71); r = 0.87 for day 1 and day 2 mean 24-hr CO concentrations. PM2.5 and CO were correlated with each other (48-hr mean, r = 0.77). Conclusion: Elevated air pollution concentrations with large variations were demonstrated among households using traditional stoves. Baseline exposures will be examined in relation to follow-up concentrations assessed during the summer of 2009 approximately 9 months after the introduction of the improved stoves.