Air pollution and inhalation exposure to particulate matter of different sizes in rural households using improved stoves in central China

Weijian Liu; Guofeng Shen; Yuanchen Chen; Huizhong Shen; Ye Huang; Tongchao Li; Yilong Wang; Xiaofang Fu; Shu Tao; Wenxin Liu; Yibo Huang-Fu; Weihao Zhang; Chunyu Xue; Guangqing Liu; Fuyong Wu; Minghung Wong

doi:10.1016/j.jes.2017.06.019

Air pollution and inhalation exposure to particulate matter of different sizes in rural households using improved stoves in central China

J Environ Sci (China). 2018 Jan:63:87-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2017.06.019. Epub 2017 Jun 26.

Authors

Weijian Liu¹, Guofeng Shen², Yuanchen Chen², Huizhong Shen², Ye Huang², Tongchao Li², Yilong Wang², Xiaofang Fu², Shu Tao², Wenxin Liu³, Yibo Huang-Fu⁴, Weihao Zhang⁴, Chunyu Xue⁴, Guangqing Liu⁴, Fuyong Wu⁵, Minghung Wong⁶

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: wjliu@pku.edu.cn.
² MOE Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
³ MOE Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: wxliu@urban.pku.edu.cn.
⁴ Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
⁵ Croucher Institute of Environmental Sciences and Biology Department, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
⁶ Croucher Institute of Environmental Sciences and Biology Department, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), Department of Science and Environmental Studies, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China.

PMID: 29406120
DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2017.06.019

Abstract

Household air pollution is considered to be among the top environmental risks in China. To examine the performance of improved stoves for reduction of indoor particulate matter (PM) emission and exposure in rural households, individual inhalation exposure to size-resolved PM was investigated using personal portable samplers carried by residents using wood gasifier stoves or improved coal stoves in a rural county in Central China. Concentrations of PM with different sizes in stationary indoor and outdoor air were also monitored at paired sites. The stationary concentrations of size-resolved PM in indoor air were greater than those in outdoor air, especially finer particles PM_0.25. The daily averaged exposure concentrations of PM_0.25, PM_1.0, PM_2.5 and total suspended particle for all the surveyed residents were 74.4±41.1, 159.3±74.3, 176.7±78.1 and 217.9±78.1μg/m³, respectively. Even using the improved stoves, the individual exposure to indoor PM far exceeded the air quality guideline by WHO at 25μg/m³. Submicron particles PM_1.0 were the dominant PM fraction for personal exposure and indoor and outdoor air. Personal exposure exhibited a closer correlation with indoor PM concentrations than that for outdoor concentrations. Both inhalation exposure and indoor air PM concentrations in the rural households with gasifier firewood stoves were evidently lower than the reported results using traditional firewood stoves. However, local governments in the studied rural areas should exercise caution when widely and hastily promoting gasifier firewood stoves in place of improved coal stoves, due to the higher PM levels in indoor and outdoor air and personal inhaled exposure.

Keywords: Daily average exposure; Improved stoves; Particulate matter; Rural households in Central China; Size distribution.

MeSH terms

Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
Air Pollution, Indoor / statistics & numerical data*
China
Cooking / methods
Cooking / statistics & numerical data
Family Characteristics
Humans
Inhalation Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
Particulate Matter
Rural Population / statistics & numerical data

Substances

Particulate Matter