Abstract
Biomass fuel burning leads to high levels of suspended particulate matter and hazardous chemicals in the indoor environment in countries where it is in common use, contributing significantly to indoor air pollution (IAP). A situational analysis of household energy and biomass use and associated health effects of IAP was conducted by reviewing published and un-published literature about the situation in Pakistan. In addition to attempt to quantify the burden of ill health due to IAP, this paper also appraises the mitigation measures undertaken to avert the problem in Pakistan. Unfortunately, IAP is still not a recognized environmental hazard in Pakistan and there are no policies and standards to control it at the household level. Only a few original studies related to health effects of IAP have been conducted, mainly on women’s health and birth outcome, and only a few governmental, non-governmental and academic institutions are working to improve the IAP situation by introducing improved stoves and renewable energy technology at a small scale. Control of IAP health hazards in Pakistan requires an initial meeting of the stakeholders to define a policy and an action agenda. Simultaneously, studies gathering evidence of impact of intervention through available technologies such as improved stoves would have favorable impact on the health, especially of women and children in Pakistan.
Highlights
Indoor air pollution (IAP), in general, is a major concern for both developed and developing countries
It is estimated that globally more than three billion people currently rely on solid fuels, of which 2.4 billion use biomass fuels while the rest are dependent on coal, which is mostly being used in China
In order to conserve heat, the houses are kept closed in the northern part of the country which may raise the IAP levels several-fold compared to the southern part of the country where the houses are mostly open type due to the more temperate climate
Summary
Indoor air pollution (IAP), in general, is a major concern for both developed and developing countries. The gravity of the situation is far greater for the latter, due to high reliance on solid fuels whose use are a major source of IAP in developing countries. Biomass refers to any plant or animal based material burned by humans, mainly for cooking, lighting and heating in homes. It includes wood, charcoal, agricultural residues and dung. Access to modern energy sources is a necessary requirement for economic and social development [2]. A large portion of the world’s population still does not have access to modern energy sources, mainly due to low income and the lack of availability of alternative, modern fuels. It is not foreseeable that alternate cleaner fuels will become available in underserved areas
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