Impacts of stove/fuel use and outdoor air pollution on chemical composition of household particulate matter

Abstract

Biomass combustion for cooking and heating releases particulate matter (PM2.5) that contributes to household air pollution. Fuel and stove types affect the chemical composition of household PM, as does infiltration of outdoor PM. Characterization of these impacts can inform future exposure assessments and epidemiologic studies, but is currently limited. In this study, we measured chemical components of PM2.5 (water‐soluble organic matter [WSOM], ions, black carbon, elements, organic tracers) in rural Chinese households using traditional biomass stoves, semi‐gasifier stoves with pelletized biomass, and/or non‐biomass stoves. We distinguished households using one stove type (traditional, semi‐gasifier, or LPG/electric) from those using multiple stoves/fuels. WSOM concentrations were higher in households using only semi‐gasifier or traditional stoves (31%‐33%) than in those with exclusive LPG/electric stove (13%) or mixed stove use (12%‐22%). Inorganic ions comprised 14% of PM in exclusive LPG/electric households, compared to 1%‐5% of PM in households using biomass. Total PAH content was much higher in households that used traditional stoves (0.8‐2.8 mg/g PM) compared to those that did not (0.1‐0.3 mg/g PM). Source apportionment revealed that biomass burning comprised 27%‐84% of PM2.5 in households using biomass. In all samples, identified outdoor sources (vehicles, dust, coal combustion, secondary aerosol) contributed 10%‐20% of household PM2.5.

Toward Clean Residential Energy: Challenges and Priorities in Research

“…The Clean Cooking Alliance compiled stove data for a limited number of countries . It is strongly recommended to include stove information in residential energy surveys. ,, In addition to affordability-driven spontaneous upgrading, interventions are occasionally implemented to promote clean stoves. , The latest developments in stove designs, namely, adopting forced-draft, gasification, semigasification, and up- and cross-draft technologies, can help to lower air pollutant emissions. − For example, over 90% of emission reductions for most pollutants can be achieved by using a forced-draft pellet-fed semigasifier cookstove compared to the traditional wood or charcoal stoves in Rwanda . However, the technology can also cause increased emissions of some other pollutants, such as NOx and ultrafine particles .…”

Emission characteristics, sources, and airborne fate of speciated organics in particulate matters in a Hong Kong residence

“…Indoor sources including occupant‐related activities generate a large number of organics spanning a wide range of volatility, with considerable fractions in PM 11,12 . While studies shed some light on the composition of indoor PM‐bound organics, the conventional filter‐based and long‐time‐span sampling failed to recognize the emissions of individual sources from convolved chemical information 13,14 . Chamber experiments are capable of measuring and even quantifying emissions from individual indoor sources 15–17 .…”

“…11,12 While studies shed some light on the composition of indoor PM-bound organics, the conventional filter-based and long-time-span sampling failed to recognize the emissions of individual sources from convolved chemical information. 13,14 Chamber experiments are capable of measuring and even quantifying emissions from individual indoor sources. [15][16][17] However, many factors in real indoor environments, such as ventilation conditions and concentrations of oxidants which may influence the diffusion and chemical aging of air pollutants, are difficult to be reproduced in chambers.…”

A review on household air pollution and biomass use over Kenya

“…Indoor human activities, such as lighting, cooking, and heating, significantly affect indoor air quality (Jung and Huxham, 2018;Lai et al, 2020). According to Pratiti (2021), using biomass fuel (BMF) is one of the leading causes of indoor air pollution.…”