Indoor and outdoor air pollution in the Himalayas

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00148a003· OSTI ID:5534206

Davidson, C I; Lin, S F; Osborn, J F; Pandey, M R; Rasmussen, R A; Khalil, M A.K.

Air pollutant concentrations have been measured in residences in the Himalayas of Nepal where biomass fuels are used for cooking and heating. Levels of total suspended particles are in the range 3-42 mg/m/sup 3/, with respirable suspended particles in the range 1-14 mg/m/sup 3/ in the houses sampled. Limited data for gaseous species show appreciable levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and several non-methane hydrocarbons. A questionnaire concerning energy use administered in each household suggests that high per capita use of biomass fuels is responsible for excessive pollutant concentrations. Application of a one-compartment mass balance model to these houses shows only rough agreement between calculated and measured values, due to uncertainties in model input parameters as well as difficulties in estimating average pollutant concentrations throughout each house. High outdoor concentrations of potassium and methyl chloride, previously shown to be tracers of biomass combustion, indicate that the indoor biomass combustion also degrades the outdoor environment. Values of crustal enrichment factors for trace elements in the air and snow of the region suggest that the polluted air is generally confined to the populated villages, with more pristine air at higher elevations. 58 references, 1 figure, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA
• OSTI ID: 5534206
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 20:6; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKANES
ASIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HIMALAYAS
HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
METHANE
METHYL CHLORIDE
MOUNTAINS
NEPAL
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
WOOD FUELS