Heating Fuels Research Articles

Cooking or heating with solid fuels increased the all-cause mortality risk among mid-aged and elderly People in China

BackgroundOur study aimed to explore the associations between solid fuels burning for either heating or cooking and all-cause mortality based on 2859 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study during 2011–2018.MethodsLogistic regression models were performed to estimate the risk for all-cause mortality between different types of fuels in the current longitudinal study. Furthermore, the combined impacts of applying solid fuels for both cooking and heating and the effect among those who switched types of fuels in cooking or heating during follow-up were also analyzed. Interaction and stratification analysis by covariables was applied further to explore the relationship between fuel burning and all-cause mortality.ResultsAfter full-adjustment, usage of solid fuels was associated with higher all-cause mortality (for heating: OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.25, 3.00; for cooking: OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.10, 2.82). Using solid fuels for both cooking and heating (OR = 2.36; 95% CI, 1.38, 4.03) was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, while using solid fuels with a single purpose was not (OR = 1.52; 95% CI, 0.90, 2.55). Protective tendencies were detected in switching solid to clean fuel for cooking (OR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.32, 1.17) and heating (OR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.35, 1.10).ConclusionEither cooking or heating with solid fuels increases the risk of all-cause mortality among Chinese mid-aged and aging people in the urban area of China.

Dynamic Simulation and Process Design Analysis of Syngas Purification and The Utilization of Gas Permeation

Abstract: Syngas generation from alternative energy sources, notable methanation, is currently gaining popularity. The technique saves energy by converting it into a chemical product. It is not suited for use directly in distribution grids, where a greater purity of methane is necessary for maximum power density. Various syngas purification levels should be supplied for various methane grades (for heat, power, and automotive fuels uses). Water damages the mechanical components of an engine, thus it must be removed before it can be utilized as a fuel. CO2 removal should also be performed to increase methane heat quality and minimize pollution. This research evaluated the performance of a syngas purification system using a flash separator and hollow fiber membranes. A flash separator model condensed the water from the wet feed. The CO2 removal from methane was then investigated using hollow fiber membranes. As a consequence, Aspen Plus® V8.6 includes a FORTRAN user model for unit operations. The greatest result was filtering methane up to 98 percent vol. using a two stage pervaporation system with recycling streams. The model scheme may help in the implementation and quality evaluation of a complex methanation plant system

Household air pollution, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity: Results from the China health and retirement longitudinal study

BackgroundThe adverse health effects of household air pollution have been widely explored, but few studies have evaluated the effects of household air pollution on the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), a pressing public health concern worldwide. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether exposure to household use of polluting fuels is associated with morbid CMM and, if so, whether a healthy lifestyle could mitigate this association. MethodsIn this prospective, nationwide representative cohort of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), participants free of CMM (defined as the coexistence of 2 or more of the following: heart disease, stroke, and diabetes or high blood sugar) were included in 2011–2012 and followed for CMM incidence until 2018. Household air pollution was measured as the use of solid fuels for cooking and heating. The healthy lifestyle score was determined by six factors, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, total cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure, and categorized into three groups (unhealthy, 0–1 factors; intermediate, 2–4; and healthy, 5–6). Cox proportional hazards models investigated associations between household air pollution and incident CMM. The potential modifier effect of a healthy lifestyle score was tested through stratified analyses. ResultsAmong 7125 eligible participants, 239 incident cases of CMM were identified over a median follow-up of 7.0 years. After adjustment for potential confounders, the use of solid household fuels for heating was associated with more significant hazards of CMM (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 2.28), while use for cooking (HR, 1.14; 95 % CI, 0.85 to 1.52) was not. Compared with participants in the unhealthy group, those in the healthy and intermediate groups had considerably lower CMM risk, with adjusted HRs (95 % CI) of 0.17 (0.09 to 0.31) and 0.39 (0.29 to 0.53), respectively, regardless of the household air pollution category. Importantly, when participants adhered to a healthy lifestyle, exposure to household air pollution was no longer significantly associated with a higher risk of CMM (adjusted HR 1.77, 95 % CI 0.51 to 6.12; P = 0.369). ConclusionsHousehold usage of polluting fuels was significantly associated with a higher risk of CMM, and adherence to a healthy lifestyle may mitigate this adverse effect. From a broader perspective, our findings underscore the importance of public health policies and interventions targeting multiple exposures (air pollution, physical activity, smoking, etc.) in enhancing the prevention of detrimental cardiometabolic health effect.

An experimental study on flame geometry and radiation flux of line-source fire over inclined surface

An experimental study was performed on line-source fire over an inclined surface (ground) to simulate downhill fire spread behavior. The flame geometry and the thermal radiation to both far-field surroundings and near-field inclined surface were investigated. As a basic configuration for wildland fire over a slope, the buoyancy induced natural convection flow along the inclined surface and the constraint of air entrainment by the inclined surface change the flame geometry as well as its radiation emission. Various surface (ground) inclination angles (from 0°-80°), fire source heat release rates and fuels were considered comprehensively with a total of 126 test conditions. Results showed that the flame perpendicular height decreased, while both the flame parallel length and base drag length along the inclined surface increased, with the increased inclination angle. A dimensional analysis was then performed based on the controlling mechanisms, with the dimensionless heat release rate, the density ratio of fuel vapor to air, along with sinα and cosα involved to represent the components in the parallel and perpendicular directions. The flame geometry parameters were well represented by the proposed dimensional analysis. Both the radiation fluxes to far-field surroundings and to near-field inclined surface decreased with the increased inclination angle. The far-field radiation was found to be well characterized by a model based on the soot volume fraction analysis according to single point source model. Concerning the near-field radiation to inclined surface, an inclined cuboid radiative modeling was developed. The predicting results by the proposed model and the experimental values showed good agreement. The present study has explained the controlling physics and proposed non-dimensional functions for flame geometry and modeling the downslope radiation of the line-source fire over the inclined surface, which facilitates the understanding of the wildland fire spread behavior over a slopping ground in the downhill direction.

Organic aerosol sources in Krakow, Poland, before implementation of a solid fuel residential heating ban

Krakow is a pollution hot-spot in Europe which is thought to be caused mainly by a high use of coal combustion (power plants, residential heating). Here, we quantify the impact of coal burning on air quality in the city of Krakow before the use of solid fuels for residential heating was banned within the city of Krakow. The particulate matter (PM) was collected on 126 24-hour filter samples (January to September, both PM1 and PM10, i.e., with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 1 μm and 10 μm, respectively) and analyzed with an aerosol mass spectrometer and the sources of the organic aerosol (OA) quantified. Secondary OA (SOA) likely from residential heating was the main contributor to winter-time OA (78 % in PM1, 57 % in PM10) and was composed of equal parts of fossil and non-fossil emissions. Additionally, fresh solid fuel combustion emissions from residential heating contributed to OA during winter (coal combustion OA (CCOA): 12 %, biomass burning OA (BBOA): 3 %). While BBOA contributed substantially to water-soluble OA, COOA was found to be water-insoluble and thus not identified as part of water-soluble OA. Together with the fairly low water-solubility of winter oxygenated OA (WOOA, 29 %), this leads to a low overall water-solubility of organic carbon during winter (35 %). In contrast, spring and summer were characterized by more soluble organic carbon (71 % in PM1, 55 % in PM10) which was dominated by biogenic sources (non-fossil), i.e., fine biogenic secondary oxygenated OA (summer oxygenated OA (SOOA): 35 % in PM1) and coarse primary biological OA (PBOA: 54 % in PM10). Overall, here we provide information on OA's sources needed to evaluate the success of mentioned efforts to improve air quality in Krakow in future studies.

Lung Effects of Household Air Pollution

Biomass fuel smoke, secondhand smoke, and oxides of nitrogen are common causes of household air pollution (HAP). Almost 2.4 billion people worldwide use solid fuels for cooking and heating, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Wood combustion for household heating is also common in many areas of high-income countries, and minorities are particularly vulnerable. HAP in low- and middle-income countries is associated with asthma, acute respiratory tract infections in adults and children, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and respiratory mortality. Although wood smoke exposure levels in high-income countries are typically lower than in lower-income countries, it is similarly associated with accelerated lung function decline, higher prevalence of airflow obstruction and chronic bronchitis, and higher all-cause and respiratory cause-specific mortality. Household air cleaners with high-efficiency particle filters have mixed effects on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease outcomes. Biomass fuel interventions in low-income countries include adding chimneys to cookstoves, improving biomass fuel combustion stoves, and switching fuel to liquid petroleum gas. Still, the impact on health outcomes is inconsistent. In high-income countries, strategies for reducing biomass fuel-related HAP are centered on community-level woodstove changeout programs, although the results are again inconsistent. In addition, initiatives to encourage home smoking bans have mixed success in households with children. Environmental solutions to reduce HAP have varying success in reducing pollutants and health problems. Improved understanding of indoor air quality factors and actions that prevent degradation or improve pollutedindoor air may lead to enhanced environmental health policies, but health outcomes must be rigorously examined.

Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Incidence of Major Cardiovascular Diseases: A Prospective Study of 0.5 Million Adults in China.

Few cohort studies explored the long-term effects of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), especially in countries with higher levels of air pollution. We aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and incidence of CVD in China. We performed a prospective cohort study in ten regions that recruited 512,689 adults during 2004–2008, with follow-up until 2017. Annual PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using a satellite-based model with national coverage and 1 x 1 km spatial resolution. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and cause-specific CVDs associated with PM2.5, adjusting for conventional covariates. During 5.08 million person-years of follow-up, 148,030 incident cases of CVD were identified. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 showed positive and linear association with incidence of CVD, without a threshold below any concentration. The adjusted HRs per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was 1.04 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.07) for total CVD. The risk estimates differed between certain population subgroups, with greater HRs in men, in household with higher income, and in people using unclean heating fuels. This prospective study of large Chinese population provided essential epidemiological evidence for CVD incident risk associated with PM2.5.

Impact of Solar Thermal Energy on the Energy Matrix under Equatorial Andean Context

Low-temperature solar thermal energy is a viable and mature alternative to reduce the use of fossil fuels for domestic hot water heating. The impact of the inclusion of this technology in the energy matrix in the Andean city of Cuenca, Ecuador, is analyzed. In Ecuador, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is currently used to heat water due to the high state subsidy, with a cost of 0, 11 USD for an LPG kg compared to the international price of 1.18 USD a Kg of LPG in 2021. Sustainability indicators show that the urban energy matrix would be minimally affected by a high penetration of solar thermal systems. The indicators that are positively affected are related to energy self-sufficiency, emissions, and employment at the expense of an increase in the cost of energy. Moreover, the analysis of the impact on consumption exclusively in the residential sector shows that liquefied petroleum gas consumption would drop from 73 to 64%, mainly because the liquefied gas is used in cooking. However, the change in technology is limited by the subsidized cost of liquefied petroleum gas, which makes the adoption of this technology difficult in the current state

Replacing the greater evil: Can legalizing decentralized waste burning in improved devices reduce waste burning emissions for improved air quality?

Open waste burning emissions constitute a significant source of air pollution affecting human health in India. In regions where cleaner fuels have displaced solid biofuel usage, open waste burning is rapidly becoming one of the largest sources of airborne human class-I-carcinogens and particulate matter. As the establishment of waste management infrastructure in rural India is likely to take years, we explore whether health-relevant emissions can be reduced by legalizing the burning of dry non-biodegradable waste in improved devices. We measure the emission factors of 76 VOCs, CH4, CO, and CO2 from different types of waste burned in two different improved devices, a burn basket and a local water heater. Based on our experiments, we create four “what-if” intervention scenarios to assess the improvement of air quality due to the emission reductions that can be accomplished by four management strategies. We find that substituting the traditional, more polluting water heating fuels with dry plastic waste across rural India can reduce primary emissions (e.g., −29 Ggy−1 for benzene) and ozone formation potential (−2960 Ggy−1) from open waste burning. When dry waste is used in lieu of more polluting fuels, and its burning serves a purpose, the net class-I-carcinogen benzene emissions, would be halved compared to the present. The change in emissions for the class-I carcinogen 1,3-butadiene would become net negative. This happens because the emissions avoided when part of the solid biofuel currently used in rural India is replaced by plastic waste (4.1 (1.2–4.1) Ggy−1) exceed the waste burning emissions of this compound (3 (1.2–3.7) Ggy−1) by so much, that residential sector emission reductions offset all waste burning emissions including those of landfill fires. Our study demonstrates that India's air quality can be improved by permitting and promoting the use of dry packaging waste in lieu of traditional biofuels and by promoting improved burning devices.

Indoor Household Exposures and Associated Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in Children and Adults in South Africa.

Human exposure to indoor pollution is one of the most well-established ways that housing affects health. We conducted a review to document evidence on the morbidity and mortality outcomes associated with indoor household exposures in children and adults in South Africa. The authors conducted a scientific review of the publicly available literature up to April 2022 using different search engines (PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar) to identify the literature that assessed the link between indoor household exposures and morbidity and mortality outcomes in children and adults. A total of 16 studies with 16,920 participants were included. Bioaerosols, allergens, dampness, tobacco smoking, household cooking and heating fuels, particulate matter, gaseous pollutants and indoor spray residue play a significant role in different morbidity outcomes. These health outcomes include dental caries, asthma, tuberculosis, severe airway inflammation, airway blockage, wheeze, rhinitis, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, phlegm on the chest, current rhinoconjunctivitis, hay fever, poor early life immune function, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational hypertension, and increased incidence of nasopharyngeal bacteria, which may predispose people to lower respiratory tract infections. The findings of this research highlight the need for more initiatives, programs, strategies, and policies to better reduce the negative consequences of indoor household exposures.

Design of Typical Energy Efficient and Zero Energy building for Kabul City

Recently, the consumption of energy in residential buildings has been increasing. On one hand, urbanization increased energy consumption in residential buildings. On the other hand, construction of nonstandard buildings especially residential buildings, caused excessive energy waste. Implementation of energy efficiency and zero-energy building strategies is one of the best solutions to decrease energy waste and energy intensity in a residential building in Kabul City. This research is conducted to design typical energy-efficient and zero energy building strategies for Kabul City. The majority of people use unrefined fossil fuels for heating. As we know, fossil fuels cause environmental pollution. To burn these fuels, most greenhouse gases GHGs emissions are released in the atmosphere, and these GHGs are very harmful to health and cause different types of illnesses. This study is performed in two stages. First, the construction cost of a customarily built building is calculated. Then, the heat loss and heat gain of this inefficient building are also calculated. The same procedure is repeated for a more efficient and insulated building. After comparing, it is revealed that an insulated building saves 65% of the energy and emits 60% less CO2 compared to the inefficient building. To make this building a zero-energy building, we tried using photovoltaic technology. All-electric loads for this building are calculated, and the components of the photovoltaic system are designed accordingly. Finally, the implementation of energy-efficient and zero-energy building has lots of benefits of cost-saving, being environmentfriendly, reduced illness, and individual sustainability for each building

Determinants of household energy fuel choice in Lesotho

The determinants of household energy fuel choice have not been studied in some developing countries, including Lesotho, despite the potential benefits such a study might have for policy design and implementation. This study uses the data collected by Lesotho’s Bureau of Statistics through a national household energy consumption survey of 2017, and a multinomial logistic regression to analyse the determinants of household energy fuel choice in Lesotho. The results indicate that the gender of the household head does not influence the choice of cleaner energy fuels for cooking and water heating. However, the age and education of the household head, household size, level of income, and access to electricity are drivers of energy fuel choice. The older the household head and the larger the household, the less likely it is to adopt cleaner energy fuels. Generally, higher income, access to electricity and a better-educated household head make a household more likely to adopt clean energy fuels. Thus, policies aimed at promoting household income-generating opportunities, effective provision of access to electricity, and investment in education can influence the choice of clean energy use within households. But these policies must be tailored to the unique characteristics of different settlement types, given that the significance of these determinants vary across rural, peri-urban, and urban areas.

Household solid fuel use with diabetes and fasting blood glucose levels among middle-aged and older adults in China.

To explore the impacts of household solid fuel use for cooking and heating on diabetes and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, we used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a national survey including middle-aged and older adults. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to explore the relationship between household solid fuel use (coal, crop residue, and wood) for cooking and heating with diabetes and FBG levels. Subgroup analyses were also performed based on age, sex, region of residence, smoking status, and body mass index to examine potential interactions between the variables and household solid fuel use. Among the 6195 participants, 75.4% and 61.4%, respectively, used solid fuels for heating and cooking. Relative to clean fuel users, solid fuel users had higher odds of diabetes (heating: OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01-1.44; cooking: OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.12-1.53) and higher FBG levels (heating: β = 3.23; 95% CI, 1.10-5.36; cooking: β = 2.86; 95% CI, 0.95-4.77). Simultaneous use of solid fuels for cooking/heating was also positively associated with diabetes (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.61) and FBG (β = 4.30; 95% CI, 1.82-6.78). No significant interactions were detected between subgroup variables and the impacts of solid fuel use on diabetes and FBG. Household solid fuel use is positively associated with diabetes and FBG levels. These findings imply that inhibiting household solid fuel use may contribute to decreasing diabetes development in China.

Hybrid concentrated solar biomass (HCSB) systems for cogeneration: Techno-economic analysis for beef abattoirs in New South Wales, Australia

The clean energy transition and commitments to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century are most challenging for energy-intensive industries, like meat processing, that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels for heat and power. This study examines technical design options of combined heat and power (CHP) systems for beef abattoirs. Specifically, we investigate the technical and economic viability of a novel hybrid concentrated solar biomass (HCSB) system for a major beef abattoir in Australia. Two prospective design options are presented: The first considers an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system integrated to a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant and an existing biomass boiler. The second option consists of a hybrid combined cycle (HCC) system fed by an existing biomass boiler, a solar thermal system and biogas, from anaerobic digestion (AD) of liquid waste streams of the abattoir. The two design options are simulated, considering operational modes and energy demand of the abattoir. Costs of energy generation [AU$/MWh] and emission abatement potential [tCO2-e], for different solar field sizes [ha], are discussed for both cases. The simple retrofit ORC HCSB solution is characterized by easy integration, but can only cover a fraction of the required electricity. The more sophisticated HCC HCSB system presents a more economical solution, as it can provide 100% renewable heat at a cost of 66.0 AU$/MWhth; and up to 65% of electricity at a cost of 151.7 AU$/MWhel. The findings of this study highlight the opportunity for HCSB plants for industries with low- to medium (40–250 °C) heating demand.

The Effect of the Swiss CO2 Levy on Heating Fuel Demand of Private Real Estate Owners

To effectively mitigate climate change, it is crucial to better understand the reaction of fossil-fuel demand to price and tax changes, and more precisely to climate policy instruments such as a carbon levy. The Swiss CO2 levy on heating fuels was introduced in 2008 at CHF 12/tCO2eq, and was increased steadily up to CHF 84/tCO2eq during the period of 2016/2017. This paper investigated the effectiveness of the levy as an instrument to reduce heating fuel demand, and hence carbon emissions, of private real estate owners. The Swiss Household Budget Survey 2006–2017 constituted the main data source. Before–after and pseudo-panel regressions were used to capture the CO2 levy’s effects, and a large set of household characteristics, as well as climatic conditions, were controlled for. No significant effects in the first two policy periods of 2008–2013 were found. Over the period of 2014–2017, a significant reduction in house owners’ heating fuel demand of up to 14% with respect to 2006–2007 was detected. The effect was less significant and smaller in magnitude for flat owners. A significant CO2 levy semielasticity of heating fuel demand of −1.3% for house owners was further estimated. Hence, the results confirmed the effectiveness of the CO2 levy under the conditions that the levy was sufficiently high, as during the years of 2014–2017, and households directly paid the levy and were responsible for decisions concerning heating and insulation, as was the case for house owners.

Associations between household solid fuel use and hearing loss in a Chinese population: A population-based prospective cohort study

Hearing loss, a common chronic condition, severely affects the quality of human life. However, the longitudinal relationships between household solid fuel use and hearing loss are unclear. To explore the associations between household solid fuel use and hearing loss in a Chinese population. There were 8835 participants enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Hearing function was assessed by asking the following self-reported question. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the relationships between baseline household solid fuel use and hearing loss incidence. After 6 (range, 2–7) years of follow-up, 1654 (18.72%) of 8835 participants developed hearing loss. This study demonstrated that increasing baseline solid fuel exposure was associated with a higher rate of poor hearing function (P for trend < 0.01). Compared with the clean fuel group (both cooking and heating), the hazard ratios (HR) (95% confidence intervals) of poor hearing function for the solid fuel group (cooking or heating) and both solid fuel groups (both cooking and heating) were 1.17 (1.01, 1.37) and 1.26 (1.09, 1.45) after adjustments, respectively. In subgroup analysis of household energy sources, the use of solid fuels for both heating (HR, 1.21; 1.07, 1.37) and cooking (HR, 1.12; 1.01, 1.26) was related to a higher incidence of poor hearing function. In subgroup analysis of place of residence, more solid fuel use was associated with a higher rate of poor hearing function in urban communities (HR, 1.39; 1.12, 1.74) but not in rural villages (HR, 1.18; 0.97, 1.45). Moreover, compared with the population that used solid fuel for cooking at both baseline and follow-up, those who switched from solid to clean fuel had a lower risk of developing poor hearing function (HR, 0.54, 0.46–0.63). This study demonstrates that household solid fuel use is closely associated with poor hearing function. Programs that educate individuals on the effects of household fuel use on hearing function should be established, especially in urban communities.

Should the EU ETS be Extended to Road Transport and Heating Fuels?

Should the EU ETS be Extended to Road Transport and Heating Fuels?

Heterogeneous climate change impacts on electricity demand in world cities circa mid-century

Rising ambient temperatures due to climate change will increase urban populations’ exposures to extreme heat. During hot hours, a key protective adaptation is increased air conditioning and associated consumption of electricity for cooling. But during cold hours, milder temperatures have the offsetting effect of reducing consumption of electricity and other fuels for heating. We elucidate the net consequences of these opposing effects in 36 cities in different world regions. We couple reduced-form statistical models of cities’ hourly responses of electric load to temperature with temporally downscaled projections of temperatures simulated by 21 global climate models (GCMs), projecting the effects of warming on the demand for electricity circa 2050. Cities' responses, temperature exposures and impacts are heterogeneous, with changes in total annual consumption ranging from -2.7 to 5.7%, and peak power demand increasing by as much as 9.5% at the multi-GCM median. The largest increases are concentrated in more economically developed mid-latitude cities, with less developed urban areas in the tropics exhibiting relatively small changes. The results highlight the important role of the structure of electricity demand: large temperature increases in tropical cities are offset by their inelastic responses, which can be attributed to lower air-conditioning penetration.

Time Trends in Stroke and Subtypes Mortality Attributable to Household Air Pollution in Chinese and Indian Adults: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

Household air pollution (HAP) exposure is recognized as a major health concern in areas relied on residential burning of solid fuels for cooking and heating. However, previous study has focused on mortality across time and reported changes in age-specific mortality globally but failed to distinguish cohort from period effects. Therefore, this study aimed to differentiate the relative contributions of period and cohort effects to overall time trends of HAP-attributable stroke mortality between the most presentative East and South Asia countries. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database. The age, period, and cohort effects were estimated using the age-period-cohort (APC) model. The overall age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of stroke in China decreased by 39.8% compared with 35.8% in India, while stroke subtypes in both the sexes and countries showed consecutive significant declines from 1990 to 2019. The age-specific and cohort-specific HAP-attributable stroke mortality declined over time in China and India. By APC analysis, substantially increasing age effects were presented for stroke and subtypes from 25 to 84 years. China had a rapid reduction in the independent period and cohort effects. Also, the risk of death for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) had the most striking decline for both sexes in period and cohort effects. Reductions of India were less favorable than China, but the independent period and cohort effects progressively decreased during the entire period for both the sexes. Males experienced a slightly higher mortality risk than females in both countries. Although prominent reductions were observed in HAP-attributable stroke and subtypes mortality during the past 30 years, China and India still suffered uneven HAP-attributable stroke burden. Thus, it is of high significance to introduce advanced solid fuels replace technology and knowledge regarding clean fuel use.

Renewable heating solutions for buildings; a techno-economic comparative study of sewage heat recovery and Solar Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System

The extensive use of fossil fuels for space and water heating in buildings is raising CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. To address this concern, renewable and alternative energy sources should replace conventional energy options. This paper examines the technical feasibility, economic viability, and environmental impact of substituting conventional fuel with renewable and alternative sources for space heating and hot water purposes. Two different choices are offered to replace a natural gas-fired boiler in two residential buildings with 826 apartment units: Solar-Borehole Thermal Energy Storage System and Sewage Heat Recovery System. Solar-Borehole system couples the solar thermal collectors to boreholes, storing excess energy generated by solar collectors into the boreholes and supplying it to buildings when the energy demand is high and the solar energy is not sufficient. In a sewage system, low-grade thermal energy from the sewage beneath the building's site is upgraded and supplied to buildings via heat pumps. Arguments for and against each of the heating options are discussed. Proposed systems are designed using state-of-the-art technology, and their capital and operating costs are quantified. Both of these newly proposed systems are compared against a natural gas heating system to determine energy cost savings. To make the study location independent, additional calculations are undertaken to compute energy cost savings for changing electricity and natural gas pricing rates. The findings show that both proposed technologies are technically possible to execute on the studied construction site. While the Solar-Borehole system outperforms Sewage Heat Recovery technology in the examined location, the financial viability of other sites is determined by the difference in the unit cost of energy from electricity and natural gas. The sewage system surpasses the Solar-Borehole system in areas where natural gas is more expensive. Additionally, project execution can result in yearly CO2 emission reductions of 1.1 million kg. This study can aid in understanding the technical and economic issues of transitioning multi-family apartment complexes from convectional heating to a renewable and alternative energy option.