Assessment of PM[sub 10] concentrations from domestic biomass fuel combustion in two rural Bolivian highland villages
- Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA (United States). Rollins School of Public Health
- Univ. of Michigan, MI (United States)
PM[sub 10] concentrations were measured in two contrasting rural Bolivian villages that cook with biomass fuels. In one of the villages, cooking was done exclusively indoors, and in the other, it was done primarily outdoors. Concentrations in all potential microenvironments of exposure (i.e., home, kitchen, and outdoors) were measured for a total of 621 samples. Geometric mean kitchen PM[sub 10] concentrations were 1830 and 280 [micro]g/m[sup 3] and geometric mean home concentrations were 280 and 440 [micro]g/m[sup 3] for the indoor and outdoor cooking villages, respectively. An analysis of pollutant concentrations using generalized estimating equation techniques showed significant effects of village location, and interaction of village and location on log-transformed PM[sub 10] concentrations. Pollutant concentrations and activity pattern data were used to estimate total exposure using the indirect method of exposure assessment. Daily exposure for women during the nonwork season was 15 120 and 6240 [micro]g h[sup [minus]1]m[sup [minus]3] for the indoor and outdoor cooking villages, respectively. Differences in exposure to pollution between the villages were not as great as might be expected based on kitchen concentration alone. This study underscores the importance of measuring pollutant concentrations in all microenvironments where people spend time and of shifting the focus of air pollution studies to include rural populations in developing countries.
- OSTI ID:
- 6315208
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Vol. 33:15; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
095000* -- Biomass Fuels-- Environmental Aspects-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
BIOMASS
BOLIVIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
LATIN AMERICA
MONITORING
OXIDATION
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RURAL AREAS
SOUTH AMERICA
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES