Use Of Solid Fuels Research Articles

The Impact of Solid Fuel Residential Boilers Exchange on Particulate Matter Air Pollution

Combustion processes, including the use of solid fuels for residential heating, are a widespread custom for many households. Residential heating is a significant source of ambient air pollution, yet it varies greatly by geography, meteorologic conditions, the prevalence of the type of solid fuel and the technologies used. This study evaluates whether residential heating affects the air quality through modelling three given scenarios of solid fuel boiler exchange at selected locations and comparing the results with measured data. The findings of this study suggest that according to the modelled data, the main air pollution contributor is residential heating since Dolni Lhota (daily average of PM10 = 44.13 μg·m−3) and Kravare (daily average of PM10 = 43.98 μg·m−3) are locations with no industry in contrast to heavily industrial Vratimov (daily average of PM10 = 34.38 μg·m−3), which were modelled for the heating season situation. Nevertheless, actual measurements of PM10 during the same period suggest that the average levels of air pollution were significantly higher than the modelled values for Dolni Lhota by 64% and for Kravare by 51%. Thus, it was assumed that PM long-range or/and transboundary transports were involved.

Why energy access is not enough for choosing clean cooking fuels? Evidence from the multinomial logit model

The transition to sustainable energy requires an assessment of drivers of the use of clean and dirty fuels for cooking. Literature highlights the importance of access to clean fuel for switching from dirty fuels to clean fuels. Though access to cleaner fuels, such as electricity promotes clean fuel use, it does not necessarily lead to a complete transition to the use of clean fuels. Households continue using traditional fuels in addition to the clean fuels. The main objective of this paper is to explain the choice of dirty cooking fuels even when access to electricity is provided. We use nationally representative household survey data to study the household energy use decisions in three middle-income countries, namely, India, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. The study discusses the role of access to natural gas, free fuel, convenience or multi-use of fuels featured by the heating system installed, built-in environment, and other socio-economic factors in household fuel choice for cooking. The results show that access to natural gas increases the likelihood of opting for clean fuel, while the availability of free fuel in rural areas and the coal-based heating system promote the use of solid fuels.

A breath of fresh air: Raising awareness for clean fuel adoption

Air pollution is amongst the gravest public health concerns worldwide, and indoor sources are the largest contributors in many developing countries. In our study in central India, we randomly assigned villages to a campaign by rural public health workers to either raise awareness about the adverse health effects of smoke from cooking with solid fuels and measures to mitigate them, or combined health awareness with information on the universal cash-back LPG (liquid petroleum gas) subsidy program or a control group in which neither information is provided. Using LPG sales records, we find an insignificant effect of the campaign on the purchase of LPG refills when measured at annual frequency. However, there was an almost 13% rise in refill consumption per month in the combined treatment, accounting for seasonality, monthly price variation and unobserved sub-district heterogeneity. Self-reported electric stove use rose by almost 50%, over the baseline mean of 6%, and the probability that the household had an outlet for smoke or separate kitchen increased by about 5 percentage points due to the treatment. There was no decline in use of solid fuels at the extensive margin, but the intensity of usage fell on some measures. The findings highlight the salience of financial constraints and the importance of the design of public subsidy schemes in inducing regular usage of clean fuels.

Innovative laboratory unit for pre-testing of oxygen carriers for chemical-looping combustion

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a highly efficient CO2 separation technology with no direct contact between combustion air and fuel. A metal oxide is used as an oxygen carrier (OC) and acts in a dual fluidized bed as a separation tool and supplies the fuel with oxygen, which as an oxidation medium causes combustion to CO2 and H2O. The use of solid fuels, especially biomass, is the focus of current investigations. The OC plays a key role, because it must meet special requirements for solid fuels, which are different to gaseous fuels. The ash content, special reaction mechanisms, and increased abrasion make research into new types of OC essential. Preliminary testing of OC before their use in larger plants regarding their suitability is recommended. For this reason, this work shows the design and the results of a laboratory reactor, which was planned and built for fundamental investigation of OC. Designed as a transient fluidized bed, the reactor, equipped with its own fuel conveying system and an in situ solid sampling, is intended to be particularly suitable for cheap and rapid pre-testing of OC materials. During the tests, it was shown that the sampling device enables non-selective sampling. Different OC were tested under various operating conditions, and their ability to convert different fuels could be quantified. The results indicate that OC can be sufficiently investigated to recommend operation in larger plants.

Research and operating experience of long-burning boilers in the North-East of Russia

In Yakutia, there is a tendency to build individual houses in rural areas. Due to the complex geographical location, economic problems and transport and logistics difficulties, it is not possible to connect many settlements to centralized sources of energy supply. Therefore, the demand for efficient autonomous sources of thermal generation due to the use of local solid fuels has recently increased. Practice shows that heat generators of imported and national manufacturers are not adapted to work at low outdoor temperatures. In the climatic conditions of the North-East of Russia, one of the important tasks is to increase the reliability and efficiency of heat generation sources; this is a necessary condition for ensuring comfortable working and living conditions for a person.

Why Is Energy Access Not Enough for Choosing Clean Cooking Fuels? Sustainable Development Goals and Beyond

The transition to sustainable energy requires an assessment of drivers of the use of clean and dirty fuels for cooking. Literature highlights the importance of access to modern fuel for switching from dirty fuels. Though access to cleaner fuels such as electricity promotes clean fuel use, it does not necessarily lead to a complete transition to the use of modern fuels. Households continue using traditional fuels in addition to modern fuels. We explain the choice of dirty cooking fuels even when access to electricity is provided. We use nationally representative household survey data to study the household energy use decisions in three middle-income countries, India, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. We discuss the role of access to natural gas, free fuel, convenience or multi-use of fuels determined by the heating system installed, built-in environment, and other socioeconomic factors in household fuel choice for cooking. The results show that access to natural gas increases the likelihood of opting for natural gas, while the availability of free fuel in rural areas and the coal-based heating system promote the use of solid fuels.

Comparative analysis of selected features of traditional and photocatalytical paving stones

Nature friendly technologies in today’s world are the subject of scientific research and the interest of local authorities and the residents themselves. In the context of the city, one of the most important issues is the neutralization of air pollution generated by transport and heating of the premises with the use of solid fuels. The article analyses differences of the response of traditional and photocatalytic paving stones. We analysed water absorption, frost resistance, tensile strength at splitting and abrasion of paving stones. It has been proved that paving stones exposed to atmospheric factors and pollution during one heating season met the assumed quality criteria. In addition, the results obtained for the characteristics analysed were higher than the results of samples tested in laboratory conditions. The results also indicate a slight advantage of photocatalytic cubes in terms of their resistance to abrasion and tensile strength at splitting. Traditional and photocatalytic paving stones withstand well the operating conditions. It seems that products based on TioCem® cement are the future implementation of pedestrian and traffic routes.

Seasonal features of brown carbon in northern China: Implications for BrC emission control

As brown carbon (BrC) consists of a collection of light-absorbing organic compounds, there is unlikely an individual substance that can be used as a proxy of all BrC constituents. Hence, available methods for distinguishing BrC from black carbon (BC) are often flawed. Moreover, the use of household solid fuels for winter rural heating is a common practice in northern China that significantly contributes to air pollution; however, it is unclear whether the intensive consumption of solid fuels during the heating season influences the yearly BrC emissions and the seasonal features of ambient BrC in northern China, which is a concern for future BrC control. Thus, a reliable method is necessary for determining the concentrations and optical properties of ambient BrC in different seasons. In this study, four typical months were selected to represent the four seasons of the year in Beijing. Daily atmospheric samples were collected using quartz filters for the analysis of BrC and BC. The integrating sphere (IS) approach was used for the first time to separate the light absorption of BrC from that of BC in ambient PM2.5. We found that the yearly average abundance of BrC was 0.82 ± 0.44 μg m−3, peaking at 2.31 ± 0.44 μg m−3 in winter, followed by autumn, spring, and summer. Meanwhile, the solar energy absorption by BrC relative to that by BrC + BC across 350–850 nm (FBrC) was the highest in winter (21.78 ± 3.56%), followed by autumn (11.53 ± 5.29%), spring (6.38 ± 4.06%), and summer (4.26 ± 2.57%). The seasonal variations in BrC abundance and absorption share were consistent with the use of household heating practices (highest in winter and minor uses in late autumn and early spring), with biomass and/or coal being the dominant energy types. As low-efficiency burning of solid biomass fuels and fossil fuels is considered an important source of BrC, the aforementioned correlation suggests that rural residential heating plays a dominant role in controlling the seasonal features of BrC and should therefore be a main focus for BrC control in northern China. Hence, the ongoing pursuit of clean heating (switching from coal to gas or electricity) in northern China will help to mitigate the climate-warming effects of both BrC and BC and offset some of the adverse impacts of clean air efforts on climate. Our findings also have wider implications for pollution mitigation in other global regions that use solid fuels.

Effects of domestic solid fuel combustion emissions on the biomarkers of homemakers in rural areas of the Fenwei Plain, China

BackgroundThe health effects of heavy solid fuel use in winter in rural China are of concern. The effects of air pollution resulting from domestic solid fuel combustion in rural households on rural homemakers’ biomarkers were revealed in this study. MethodsIn total, 75 female homemakers from rural areas of Guanzhong Basin, the Fenwei Plain, People’s Republic of China, were randomly selected and divided into three groups (biomass users, coal users, and nonusers of solid fuel user [control group]). The differences in biological indicators, including 8-hydrox-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), interlukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in urine samples as well as blood pressure (BP, including systolic BP [SBP] and diastolic BP [DBP]) and heart rate (HR) among the groups in winter and summer were investigated using statistical analysis. ResultsIL-6, 8-OHdG, HR, SBP, and DBP were significantly higher in winter than in summer (P < 0.05) owing to the poor air quality resulted from the excessive use of solid fuels in winter. Significant seasonal differences in 8-OHdG were observed for both coal and biomass users. After the influence of confounders was removed, only IL-6 levels in the urine of solid fuel users were significantly higher than that of the control group. ConclusionsIL-6 is a sensitive biomarker representing inflammatory responses to particulate matter emitted through household solid fuel combustion. Locally, excessive use of solid fuels in winter posed serious PM2.5 pollution in this area and adverse effects on inflammatory biomarkers in these rural homemakers and induced DNA damage related to oxidative stress.

Independent and combined associations of solid-fuel use and smoking with obesity among rural Chinese adults.

Although solid-fuel use or smoking is associated with obesity measured by body mass index (BMI), research on their interactive effects on general and central obesity is limited. Data of 20,140 individuals in the Henan Rural Cohort Study was examined the independent and combined associations of solid-fuel use and smoking with prevalent obesity, which was measured by BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage (BFP), and visceral fat index (VFI). Multiple adjusted logistic regression models showed that the OR (95% CI) of prevalent obesity measured by BMI associated with exposure to solid fuels alone or with smoking was 0.78 (0.70, 0.86) or 0.46 (0.32, 0.66), compared with neither smoking nor solid-fuel exposure. Similar results had been found in other obese anthropometric indices and in the results of linear regression analysis. The results indicated that solid-fuel use and smoking have a synergistic effect on reduction in obesity indices. The effects of household air pollution from solid-fuel use and smoking on obesity should be considered when exploring the influencing factors of obesity.

Solid fuel use in electrified low-income residential areas in South Africa: The case of KwaDela, Mpumalanga

Domestic solid fuel combustion remains a key contributor to indoor and ambient air pollution in low-income settlements. Understanding solid-fuel cost perceptions and burning patterns variability is required for developing sustainable energy policies and applicable site-specific intervention strategies to effectively improve ambient air quality. The purpose of the study was to understand domestic solid fuel use dynamics and trends in KwaDela, a low-income residential area in Mpumalanga. Data were gathered using surveys, questionnaires, observations, and temperature sensors. Findings were that there are two main local sources of wood and coal within the settlement and each household was estimated to consume 1 800 to 2 992.5 kg of coal annually. The maximum amount of coal used per burning event was 9.3 kg, with an average of 4 kg and a standard deviation of ±2.5 kg. Coal and wood purchase price varied depending on their sources, but were cheaper than electricity. In winter, the burning events are longer (four to six hours) than in summer and more (one to three) per day, and start earlier (from 03:00 and 15:30) mainly due to space-heating needs. Cooking, space-heating and boiling water are the major household needs that drive the use of solid fuels in electrified low-income residential areas. The key to improving air quality in such areas is integrating fuel use intervention methods that the residents can afford and are readily accessible.&#x0D; Highlights&#x0D; &#x0D; Burning events are longer in winter than summer.&#x0D; Solid fuels are affordable, available, and easily accessible.&#x0D; Electricity remains sparsely used for domestic purposes.&#x0D;

Emissions Measurements from Household Solid Fuel Use in Haryana, India: Implications for Climate and Health Co-benefits.

A large concern with estimates of climate and health co-benefits of "clean" cookstoves from controlled emissions testing is whether results represent what actually happens in real homes during normal use. A growing body of evidence indicates that in-field emissions during daily cooking activities differ substantially from values obtained in laboratories, with correspondingly different estimates of co-benefits. We report PM2.5 emission factors from uncontrolled cooking (n = 7) and minimally controlled cooking tests (n = 51) using traditional chulha and angithi stoves in village kitchens in Haryana, India. Minimally controlled cooking tests (n = 13) in a village kitchen with mixed dung and brushwood fuels were representative of uncontrolled field tests for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), organic and elemental carbon (p > 0.5), but were substantially higher than previously published water boiling tests using dung or wood. When the fraction of nonrenewable biomass harvesting, elemental, and organic particulate emissions and modeled estimates of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) are included in 100 year global warming commitments (GWC100), the chulha had a net cooling impact using mixed fuels typical of the region. Correlation between PM2.5 emission factors and GWC (R2 = 0.99) implies these stoves are climate neutral for primary PM2.5 emissions of 8.8 ± 0.7 and 9.8 ± 0.9 g PM2.5/kg dry fuel for GWC20 and GWC100, respectively, which is close to the mean for biomass stoves in global emission inventories.

Indoor solid fuel use and incident arthritis among middle-aged and older adults in rural China: A nationwide population-based cohort study

BackgroundMany households in developing countries, including China, rely on the traditional use of solid fuels for cooking and heating. Arthritis is highly prevalent in middle-aged and older adults and is a major cause of disability. However, evidence linking indoor solid fuel use with arthritis is scarce in this age group (≥45 years) in developing countries. ObjectivesTo investigate whether exposure to indoor solid fuel for cooking and heating is associated with arthritis in middle-aged and older adults in rural China. MethodsData for the present study were extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a longitudinal national prospective study of adults aged 45 years and older enrolled in 2010 and followed up through 2015. We included 7807 rural participants without arthritis at baseline, of whom 1548 living in a central heating area in winter were included in the heating analysis (taking the Qinling-Huaihe line as the heating boundary). Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between indoor solid fuel use and arthritis, controlling for age, sex, education, marital status, smoking status, drinking status, self-reported socioeconomic status, BMI, sleep time, napping time, independent cooking, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart problems and stroke. We also investigated the effect of switching primary fuels and using solid fuels for both cooking and heating on arthritis risk. ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the study participants was 59.2 (10.0) years old, and 48.0% of participants were women. A total of 64.8% and 63.0% of the participants reported primarily using solid fuel for cooking and heating, respectively. Arthritis incidence rates were lower among clean fuel users than solid fuel users. Compared to those using clean fuels, cooking and heating solid fuel users had a higher risk of arthritis, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.49) and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.89), respectively. Switching from clean fuels to solid fuels for heating (HR: 3.28, 95% CI: 1.21, 7.91) and using solid fuels for both cooking and heating (HR, 1.71, 95% CI, 1.01–2.79) increased the risk of arthritis. ConclusionsLong-term solid fuel use for indoor cooking and heating is associated with an increased risk of arthritis events among adults aged 45 years and older in rural China. The potential benefits of reducing indoor solid fuel use in groups at high risk for arthritis merit further exploration.

Assessing the Effects of Household Wood Burning on Particulate Matter in Rwanda

Considerable efforts have been made to protect people from indoor air pollutant exposure as approximately 80% of people spend time indoors where pollution is often worse than outside. Further, vulnerable populations, including elderly, children, and pregnant women, spend an excessively of time indoors, exposing them to pollutants that are responsible for both short-term and long-term negative health effects, resulting an estimated 4 million premature deaths annually. Aim of this research was to assess impressions of domestic use of solid fuels (firewood and charcoals) burning on Particulate Matter PM2.5 and PM10, which are particles that are less than or equal to 2.5 and 10 micrograms (μm) in diameter respectively within Kigali the capital city of Rwanda. A sample of 31 households using only charcoals and woods for cooking were selected for targeted 72 hours of monitoring. Portable air quality sensors AirVisual Nodes were used to measure concentration levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in microgram per cubic meter (μg/m3). Results showed that homes using wood for cooking experience moderately high concentrations level of PM2.5 and PM10, over 1000 μg/m3 and 1200 μg/m3 respectively, whereas homes using charcoals for cooking had lower concentrations. This later direct to that: Outstanding to low market prices of these solid fuels, poorer households are highly exposed to indoor air pollution. So, an alternative reasonably priced domestic energy to be used for cooking are indorsed and pollution levels survey in households using combination or different types of fuels for cooking are recommended for future research.

Possibilities of Using Bioethanol as an Alternative Fuel in the Conditions of Jet Engines

In today’s world, reducing the ecological impact of transport on the environment plays a key role in air transport, as a major polluter of the environment. The rate of use of solid fuels is a current parameter in the process of using renewable energy sources as well as reducing emissions from combustion engines. The article focuses on the use of bioethanol as an alternative fuel in aircraft engines, specifically in pulsejet engines. The partial goal of the manuscript was to create a functional measuring bench, which was equipped with pulsejet engine, sensors equipment and control unit. The manuscript mentions the use of a pulsed Lockwood-Hiller engine type, which was operated with three types of fuels (Gas N-95, Diesel and JET-A1 Kerosene) compared to bioethanol. The results of the experiments demonstrated the possibilities of using alternative fuels and their specific properties compared to conventional fuels and the possibility of implementation into real operation. It was the unique combustion processes of pulse engines that enabled the study at the border of the continuous and cyclic combustion process and the usability of bioethanol for aircraft engines. With regard to fuel use, it is assumed that alternative fuels will be a way to reduce the impact of aviation emissions and, in particular, to make more efficient use of renewable fuel sources.

Longitudinal associations between household solid fuel use and depression in middle-aged and older Chinese population: A cohort study

BackgroundPrevious studies found that ambient air pollution was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms. However, the longitudinal associations between household solid fuel use, which is the main source of household air pollution, and depressive symptoms remain unclear. This cohort study aimed to explore the associations between household solid fuel use and incidence of depressive symptoms in China. MethodsIn total, 8637 participants were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The associations between baseline household solid fuel use and the incidence of depressive symptoms were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression models. ResultsDuring the 4-year of follow-up, 2074 of 8637 participants developed depressive symptoms. Compared with participants who used clean fuel for both heating and cooking, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence intervals [95% CI]) for depressive symptoms incidence in participants who used solid fuels for two purposes (cooking and heating) was 1.15 (1.01, 1.31). In the solid fuel use subgroup analysis, use of solid fuels for cooking (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02–1.24) was associated with a higher incidence of depressive symptoms after adjustments while use for heating (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.93–1.18) was not. Moreover, compared with persistent solid fuel users, switching from solid to clean fuels for cooking resulted in a lower risk of depressive symptoms before adjustments (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71–0.95) and a non-significant association (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.77–1.04) afterwards. ConclusionsThe results suggest that household solid fuel use for cooking was associated with a higher incidence of depressive symptoms. Preventive strategies based on improving household cooking environment for depressive symptoms should be established.

Cooking-energy transition in Nepal: trend review

Abstract Clean-cooking energy is key to meeting climate-mitigation goals and a range of development objectives, especially for improving the well-being of women and children. Inefficient burning of solid biomass for cooking releases household air pollution that is hazardous to health, while putting pressure on forest resources. This paper provides an overview of the household-cooking-energy transition in Nepal to date. Despite numerous efforts by the government and other actors to speed this transition, energy data spanning the years 2000–18 reveal that ~69% of households nationwide still rely on solid fuels for cooking today. The proportion of solid-fuel users is especially high in rural regions, reaching &amp;gt;80%. Moreover, if the current rate of progress is not accelerated, the use of solid fuels will remain high even in 2030, preventing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. Cooking-fuel choices are heavily constrained by accessibility, demographic and socio-economic factors. Thus, this paper recommends that evidence-based and integrated policies and strategies be urgently deployed to foster a more effective and rapid transition towards clean energy, which is critical to achieving SDG 7.

Boiled or Bottled: Regional and Seasonal Exposures to Drinking Water Contamination and Household Air Pollution in Rural China.

Background:Inadequate access to safe drinking water remains a global health problem, particularly in rural areas. Boiling is the most commonly used form of point-of-use household water treatment (HWT) globally, although the use of bottled water in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing rapidly.Objectives:We assessed the regional and seasonal prevalence of HWT practices (including bottled water use) in low-income rural areas in two Chinese provinces, evaluated the microbiological safety of drinking water and associated health outcomes, and estimated the air pollution burden associated with the use of solid fuels for boiling.Methods:We conducted cross-sectional surveys and collected drinking water samples from 1,033 rural households in Guangxi and Henan provinces. Temperature sensors affixed to pots and electric kettles were used to corroborate self-reported boiling frequencies and durations, which were used to model household air pollution (HAP) in terms of estimated particulate matter in aerodynamic diameter () concentrations.Results:Based on summer data collection in both provinces, after controlling for covariates, boiling with electric kettles was associated with the largest log reduction in thermotolerant coliforms (TTCs) ( TTC most probable number), followed by boiling with pots (), and bottled water use (); all were statistically significant (). Boiling with electric kettles was associated with a reduced risk of TTC contamination [risk ratio , ] and reported diarrhea (, ). TTCs were detected in 51% () of bottled water samples. For households boiling with biomass, modeled concentrations averaged ().Discussion:Our findings suggest that where boiling is already common and electricity access is widespread, the promotion of electricity-based boiling may represent a pragmatic stop-gap means of expanding safe water access until centralized, or decentralized, treated drinking water is available; displacing biomass use for water boiling could also reduce HAP concentrations and exposures. Our results also highlight the risks of increasing bottled water use in rural areas, and its potential to displace other sources of safe drinking water, which could in turn hamper efforts in China and other LMICs toward universal and affordable safe water access. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7124

Regional and seasonal variations in household and personal exposures to air pollution in one urban and two rural Chinese communities: A pilot study to collect time-resolved data using static and wearable devices

BackgroundPrevious studies of the health impact of ambient and household air pollution (AAP/HAP) have chiefly relied on self-reported and/or address-based exposure modelling data. We assessed the feasibility of collecting and integrating detailed personal exposure data in different settings and seasons. Methods/designWe recruited 477 participants (mean age 58 years, 72% women) from three (two rural [Gansu/Henan] and one urban [Suzhou]) study areas in the China Kadoorie Biobank, based on their previously reported fuel use patterns. A time-resolved monitor (PATS+CO) was used to measure continuously for 120-hour the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at personal and household (kitchen and living room) levels in warm (May-September 2017) and cool (November 2017–January 2018) seasons, along with questionnaires on participants’ characteristics (e.g. socio-demographic, and fuel use) and time-activity (48-hour). Parallel local ambient monitoring of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) and gaseous pollutants (CO, ozone, nitrogen oxides) was conducted using regularly-calibrated devices. The air pollution exposure data were compared by study sites and seasons. FindingsOverall 76% reported cooking at least weekly (regular-cooks), and 48% (urban 1%, rural 65%) used solid fuels (wood/coal) for cooking. Winter heating was more common in rural sites than in urban site (74–91% vs 17% daily), and mainly involved solid fuels. Mixed use of clean and solid fuels was common for cooking in rural areas (38%) but not for heating (0%). Overall, the measured mean PM2.5 levels were 2–3 fold higher in the cool than warm season, and in rural (e.g. kitchen: Gansuwarm_season = 142.3 µg/m3; Gansucool_season = 508.1 µg/m3; Henanwarm_season = 77.5 µg/m3; Henancool_season = 222.3 µg/m3) than urban sites (Suzhouwarm_season = 41.6 µg/m3; Suzhoucool_season = 81.6 µg/m3). The levels recorded tended to be the highest in kitchens, followed by personal, living room and outdoor. Time-resolved data show prominent peaks consistently recorded in the kitchen at typical cooking times, and sustained elevated PM2.5 levels (> 100 µg/m3) were observed in rural areas where use of solid fuels for heating was common. DiscussionPersonal air pollution exposure can be readily assessed using a low-cost time-resolved monitor in different settings, which, in combination with other personal and health outcome data, will enable reliable assessment of the long-term health effects of HAP/AAP exposures in general populations.

Predictors of Acute respiratory infection among children Under 5 years in Nigeria: imperative for clean, safe household energy practices

Predictors of Acute respiratory infection among children Under 5 years in Nigeria: imperative for clean, safe household energy practicesBackground Globally, close to 4 million people die prematurely annually, from illnesses attributable to indoor air pollution (IAP) due to use of solid cooking fuels and kerosene while more than 50% of pneumonia deaths among Under 5 children are linked to IAP. However, in Nigeria, there is dearth of local studies on effect of IAP, despite the high prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI).Aim This study aims to determine the predictors of Acute respiratory infection among children Under-5 years exposed to smoke from solid cooking fuels in NigeriaMethods Secondary analysis of data from cross sectional studies from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2008, 2013 and 2018, was conducted. Data from 28,647 and 28,596 and 30,713 respondents over the three surveys were subjected to bivariate analyses and logistic regression.Results Younger age (0-11months), household use of solid fuel and cooking inside the dwelling were statistically associated with ARI; thus the predictors of ARI in the surveys were household use of solid fuels [AOR: 1.57 (95% C.I: 1.2,1.9), AOR: 4.75 (95% C.I: 2.2, 10.3), AOR: 5.30 (95% C.I: 1.8, 15.9)] and cooking inside the dwelling [AOR: 1.85 (95%.CI: 1.5,2.3), AOR: 1.39 (95% C.I: 1.15,1.67) and AOR: 1.12 (95C.I (0.99,1.2)]; in 2008, 2013 and 2018, respectively. Lastly, younger age (0-11months) was a predictor in 2018 [AOR: 1.6 (95% C.I: 1.4, 1.8) and 2013 AOR: 1.29 (95% C.I:1.04, 1.6)] only.Conclusion The use of solid fuels in households and cooking within the dwelling are predictors of the high prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in Nigeria. Therefore, use of clean, safe household source of energy, sustainable source of cooking fuel, use of improved cooking stoves, improved air circulation in dwellings are hereby recommended.