Emission of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Toxicity, and Mutagenicity from Domestic Cooking Using Sawdust Briquettes, Wood, and Kerosene

Abstract

Smoke samples, in both gas and particulate matter (PM) phases, of the three domestic stoves were collected using U.S. EPA modified method 5 and were analyzed for 17 PAH (HPLC-UV), acute toxicity (Microtox test), and mutagenicity (Amestest). The gas phase of smoke contributed > or = 95% of 17 PAH, > or = 96% of toxicity, and > or = 60% of mutagenicity. The highest emission factor of 17 PAH was from sawdust briquettes (260 mg/kg), but the highest emission of 11 genotoxic PAH was from kerosene (28 mg/kg). PM samples of kerosene smoke were not toxic. The total toxicity emission factor was the highest from sawdust, followed by kerosene and wood fuel. Smoke samples from the kerosene stove were not mutagenic. TA98 indicated the presence of both direct and indirect mutagenic activities in PM samples of sawdust and wood fuel but only direct mutagenic activities in the gas phase. TA100 detected only direct mutagenic activities in both PM and gas-phase samples. The higher mutagenicity emission factor was from wood fuel, 12 x 10(6) revertants/kg (TA100-S9) and 3.5 x 10(6) (TA98-S9), and lower from sawdust, 2.9 x 10(6) (TA100-S9) and 2.8 x 10(6) (TA98-S9). The low burning rate and high efficiency of a kerosene stove have resulted in the lowest PAH, toxicity, and mutagenicity emissions from daily cooking activities. The bioassays produced toxicity and mutagenicity results in correspondence with the PAH content of samples. The tests could be used for a quick assessment of potential health risks.

Emission Characteristics for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Solid Fuels Burned in Domestic Stoves in Rural China

“…It is not surprising to see much larger variation in EF PAHs for coal, ranging from 2.0 (anthracite) to 8021 mg/kg (bituminous). 45–48 EF P15 for woody materials measured in other countries are mainly for wood logs burned in laboratory chambers, 31, 39, 44, 47 woodstove 18, 36, 38–41, 45–46, 49–51, 54 or fireplace. 18, 34–35, 37, 52–53 Reported EF P15 values for wood logs burned in laboratory chambers, wood stoves, and fireplaces range from 5.4–35, 1.5–63, and 0.32–332 mg/kg, with geometric means of 15, 8.0, and 16 mg/kg, respectively.…”

Emission and size distribution of particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from residential wood combustion in rural China

“…Kim Oanh et al, (2005) reported emission factors of 16 particle phase PAHs (EF P16 ) for wood in a Chinese clay stove at 1.62 mg/kg [47]. It was also reported that EF P16 for wood chips burned in domestic cooking stoves in other Asian countries ranged in 0.39–5.79 mg/kg with mean and standard derivation of 2.07±1.86 mg/kg [47–49]. The results were comparable to that for fuel wood, and obviously lower than that for brushwood in our study.…”

Hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as biomarkers of exposure to wood smoke in wildland firefighters

“…This could be expected because emissions of PAHs from wood combustion are relatively high compared with those from less clean fuel such as coal briquette and kerosene. 38,39 Wood/vegetative biomass combustion has also been identified as a major source of atmospheric PAHs, 40,41 and is a dominant contributor to the ambient air concentrations of PM and PAHs in certain areas in developed countries where wood is a major heating fuel. 2–8,25,26 Furthermore, it has been shown in studies that PAH content is higher in wood smoke particles compared with particles from other common sources of ambient air pollution such as traffic and diesel exhaust.…”