Women exposure to household air pollution after an improved cookstove program in rural San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Jesús Alejandro Estévez-García; Astrid Schilmann; Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez; Víctor Berrueta; Salvador Blanco; César Gerardo Villaseñor-Lozano; Rogelio Flores-Ramírez; Marlene Cortez-Lugo; Rogelio Pérez-Padilla

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134456

Women exposure to household air pollution after an improved cookstove program in rural San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Feb 1:702:134456. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134456. Epub 2019 Nov 14.

Authors

Jesús Alejandro Estévez-García¹, Astrid Schilmann², Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez³, Víctor Berrueta⁴, Salvador Blanco⁵, César Gerardo Villaseñor-Lozano⁶, Rogelio Flores-Ramírez⁷, Marlene Cortez-Lugo⁸, Rogelio Pérez-Padilla⁹

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad 655, Colonia Santa María, Ahuacatitlan, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: jesus.estevez@espm.insp.mx.
² Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad 655, Colonia Santa María, Ahuacatitlan, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: hriojas@insp.mx.
³ Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad 655, Colonia Santa María, Ahuacatitlan, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address: cmarlene@insp.mx.
⁴ Interdisciplinary Group for Appropriate Rural Technology (GIRA), C.P.61609 Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.
⁵ General Coordination of Pollution and Environmental Health, National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), Periférico Sur 5000, 4530, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address: salvador.blanco@inecc.gob.mx.
⁶ Coordination for Innovation and Application of Science and Technology (CIACYT), Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, Avenida Sierra Leona 550, 78210 San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
⁷ CONACyT Research Fellow, Coordination for Innovation and Application of Science and Technology (CIACYT), Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi. Avenida Sierra Leona 550, 78210 San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
⁸ Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Av. Universidad 655, Colonia Santa María, Ahuacatitlan, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
⁹ Tobacco and COPD Department, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), Tlalpan 4502, 14080 Mexico City, Mexico.

PMID: 31734613
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134456

Abstract

The state government of San Luis Potosí (SLP), Mexico implemented an improved cookstove (ICS) program in rural areas. As part of the comprehensive program evaluation, we compared fine particulate material (PM_2.5) concentrations in kitchens and patios in treated (TH), and non-treated households (NTH), and analyzed pollutant levels according to patterns of fuels and devices use reported by the women. A panel study was conducted in 728 households (357 TH and 371 NTH) in three regions of SLP including two sampling rounds in 2015-16. Data on exposure determinants, ICS conditions and cooking practices were collected. Daily PM_2.5 in kitchen and patio was measured in a subsample. The average treatment effect was estimated using the double difference method. We constructed a mixed linear model to estimate PM_2.5 levels for the entire study sample and obtained personal exposure according to time-activity logs. NTH had lower socioeconomic status compared to TH. The average daily PM_2.5 concentrations in NTH compared to TH were 155.2 and 92.6 μg/m³ for kitchen and 35.4 and 39.8 μg/m³ for patio, respectively. PM_2.5 levels showed significant regional differences but no significant treatment effect. In many cases, the ICS was added to previous open fire and LPG use (stacking). The household size, kitchen ventilation, relative humidity, temperature and the ratio of indoor/outdoor PM_2.5 concentration were significant predictors of kitchen PM_2.5 levels. The daily PM_2.5 personal exposure was significantly reduced using ICS in good conditions or LPG (57 μg/m³) compared to the traditional open fire (86 μg/m³). This study strengthens the evidence on the potential daily PM_2.5 exposure reduction for women using an ICS in good conditions or LPG, displacing the polluting open fire. Comprehensive strategies tailored to the sociocultural context of the communities are needed to implement clean energy programs that achieve adoption and sustained use of ICS or LPG.

Keywords: Household air pollution; Impact evaluation program; Improved cookstoves; PM(2.5); Solid fuels.

MeSH terms

Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
Air Pollution, Indoor / statistics & numerical data*
Cooking / instrumentation*
Cooking / statistics & numerical data
Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
Female
Humans
Mexico
Particulate Matter / analysis*

Substances

Particulate Matter