Types Of Cookstoves Research Articles

Metabolic syndrome in rural Peruvian adults living at high altitudes using different cookstoves.

This study determined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in open fire stoves and improved cookstoves users (ICS) in the rural Peruvian Andes. Participants answered a socioeconomic questionnaire, one 24-hour food recall and underwent a physical examination. We analysed data from 385 participants, 190 (112 women and 78 men) were ICS users and 195 (123 women and 72 men) were open fire stove users. The prevalence of MetS was 21.3, 26.4% in women and 13.3% in men. We found no statistically significant association between the type of cookstove and MetS. Body mass index and altitude were important determinants of MetS. Research on cardiometabolic diseases and open fire stove use contributes to understanding the effect of household air pollution on health in high altitude populations.

Health concerns and use of biomass energy in households: voices of women from rural communities in Western Uganda

BackgroundOver the years, there has been advocacy for use of improved cookstoves as one of the initiatives towards reducing overdependence on biomass energy. There is growing concern that the use of biomass energy may expose users to pollution which may be detrimental to their health. This study aimed at examining the health concerns of women attributed to access and use of biomass fuel in rural areas of Western Uganda. MethodsA cross-sectional study design was employed where 193 respondents and 10 key informants participated in the interviews. Four focused group discussions were held in the districts of Mbarara and Bushenyi in Western Uganda. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, while qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic approach.ResultsDependence on biomass energy may expose users especially women to both physical and psychological health challenges. Findings suggest that the type of cookstove and cooking structure contribute to indoor air pollution. Women are exposed to pollution while preparing meals using biomass fuel which may lead to respiratory complications and other health-related challenges. Additionally, while gathering biomass fuel, women may be exposed to other risks and hazards that may lead to poor health and or trauma.ConclusionIt is crucial for different stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to promote use of improved cookstoves through sensitization programs, promotional campaigns, and development of supportive regulatory frameworks for the well-being of women and their families.

Assessment of clean cooking technologies under different fuel use conditions in rural areas of Northern India

The study was conducted to assess the performance of improved and traditional cookstoves using wood as a fuel and three combinations of other fuel mixes – (i) wood and cow dung, (ii) wood and mustard stalks, and (iii) cow dung and mustard stalks). Energy and emission parameters such as specific energy consumption (SEC), emission factors (EFs) of carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) were used to compare four different types of cookstoves. These included top-feed forced draft (TF-FD), top-feed natural draft (TF-ND), front-feed natural draft (FF-ND) and front-feed traditional (FF-TR) cookstoves. Controlled cooking test (CCT) was used as the test protocol. The results showed the performance of improved cookstove technologies can vary based on the fuel used for cooking. It was observed that emission factors for PM and CO increased by 67–96% and 45–90% respectively when all three improved cookstoves were tested with three fuel combinations against wood as cooking fuel. Among the tested cookstoves, a marked difference was observed between performance of forced draft and natural draft cookstoves. Forced draft cookstoves emitted higher amount of all pollutant emissions compared to natural draft cookstoves when used with mustard stalks in combination with either wood or cowdung. The results are of critical importance given that forced draft cookstoves have been promoted in geographical regions where fuel mix use is prevalent. Therefore, forced draft cookstove might not be the right choice when the goal is climate mitigation and reduction in impact on human health. It is imperative to study comprehensively the influence of various field variables on performance of cookstoves, which have severe implications on the performance of cookstoves.

Household air pollution profiles associated with persistent childhood cough in urban Uganda

BackgroundMost household air pollution (HAP) interventions in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa have focused on a single source, such as replacing polluting cooking sources with cleaner burning cooking stoves. Such interventions, however, have resulted in insufficient reductions in HAP levels and respiratory health risks in children. In this study we determined how multiple HAP combustion sources and exposure-mitigation factors in the home environment influence child respiratory health alone and in combination. MethodsWe carried out a case-control study to determine associations between multiple indicators of HAP and persistent cough among children (<15 years of age) seeking care at three primary-care clinics in Kampala, Uganda. HAP indicators included self-report of combustion sources inside the home (e.g., stove type, fuel type, and smoking); housing characteristics and cooking practices that mitigate HAP exposure (e.g., use of windows, location of cooking, location of children during cooking) and perceptions of neighborhood air quality. To explore joint associations between indicators of HAP, we applied a Bayesian clustering technique (Bayesian profile regression) to identify HAP indicator profiles most strongly associated with persistent cough in children. ResultsMost HAP indicators demonstrated significant positive bivariate associations with persistent cough among children, including fuel-type (kerosene), the number of hours burning solid fuels, use of polluting fuels (kerosene or candles) for lighting the home, tobacco smoking indoors, cooking indoors, cooking with children indoors, lack of windows in the cooking area, and not opening windows while cooking. Bayesian cluster analysis revealed 11 clusters of HAP indicator profiles. Compared to a reference cluster that was representative of the underlying study population cough prevalence, three clusters with profiles characterized by highly adverse HAP indicators resulted in ORs of 1.72 (95% credible interval: 1.15, 2.60), 4.74 (2.88, 8.0), and 8.6 (3.9, 23.9). Conversely, at least two clusters of HAP indicator-profiles were protective compared to the reference cluster, despite the fact that these protective HAP indicator profiles used solid fuels for cooking in combination with an unimproved stove (cooking was performed predominantly outdoors in these protective clusters). ConclusionsIn addition to cooking fuel and type of cook stove, multiple HAP indicators were strongly associated with persistent cough in children. Bayesian profile regression revealed that the combination of HAP sources and HAP exposure-mitigating factors was driving risk of adverse cough associations in children, rather than any single HAP source at the home.

Influence of the Inclusion of Ignition Stage Emissions in the Development of Emission Factors for Coal Cookstoves Used in India.

Coal is used widely for domestic cooking in many regions of India, which contributes significantly to the particulate matter (PM < 2.5 μm) and CO levels in ambient and indoor air. Modeling and inventorization require the use of emission factors (EFs) for cookstoves, which are specific to fuel type and cookstove design. These are usually not available or are available for emissions under steady state combustion conditions following some protocols that are end-use-specific. In this study, two types of cookstoves are deployed, and PM < 2.5 μm and CO emissions are measured for a combustion cycle that includes an initial ignition stage, a flaming stage, and a smoldering stage. EFs are estimated for PM < 2.5 μm and CO for each of these stages of the combustion cycle and indicate a 5-9-fold increase for PM < 2.5 μm when emissions from the ignition stage are included. Elemental carbon and organic carbon analyses are presented for PM < 2.5 μm using two protocols, namely, IMPROVE_A and DIN-19539. The EFs developed for the complete combustion cycle may be used to better represent the impact of coal cookstoves on the ambient air quality and for a more realistic assessment of health effects for exposure in kitchens.

Unbelievable but improved cookstoves are not helpful in reducing firewood demand in Nepal

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the effect of different types of cookstoves on firewood demand at the household level. Using nationally representative household survey data from Nepal, we find that stove type significantly affects the firewood demand for household uses. Traditional mud-stove user households seem to use less firewood than the open-fire stove users. Surprisingly, households with the so-called ‘improved’ stoves seem to use more firewood than the households with mud stoves. Thus, converting traditional open-fire stoves to mud stoves may be a better conservation strategy in the short term rather than installing improved stoves, unless the technology improves. However, in the long run, making cleaner fuel more accessible to rural households is desirable to reduce indoor air pollution.