Household Air Pollution from Burning Biomass for Cooking and Heating – A Review of Health Hazards and Intervention Programs

Abstract

Biomass has been used as a fuel source for cooking and heating for centuries. Despite the emergence of new, efficient, and clean technologies for cooking and heating, biomass is still the primary source of fuel for poor and rural communities in several low and middle income countries around the world. This review presents the chemical composition, the health effects, and the key factors that would enhance the exposure to the emissions of high concentrations of particulate matter, inorganic, and organic chemical compounds from the use of biomass for cooking and heating. It also reviews a number of intervention programs that have been implemented by governments, non-governmental organizations, and other philanthropic societies, to mitigate the possible health risks due to biomass burning. Such programs include distribution of new cook stoves, more efficient cook stoves, cook stoves with chimneys, distribution of cleaner fuel such as LPG, and electrification, among others. This paper is a narrative literature review with some critical aspects that highlights the updated works published in the past 15 years which are related to the health hazards and intervention programs to mitigate the adverse impact of biomass burning in household environment. It was found that, despite the several efforts and initiatives taken to mitigate biomass environmental pollution, not all programs have met the desired expectations for the reduction in residents' exposure to biomass burning within the World Health Organization (WHO)'s limits. Much more work is required to be done collectively around the globe to improve the efficiency of sustained adoption of such new interventions by the poor and rural communities.