Biomass Smoke and Health Risks-The Situation in Developing Countries

Abstract

About half of the world's population relies on traditional fuels such as biomass (wood, agricultural residues, animal dung and charcoal) as the primary source of domestic energy. Nearly 2×109 kg of biomass is burnt every day in developing countries. Use of open fires for cooking and heating exposes an estimated 2 billion people to enhanced concentrations of particulate matter and gases, up to 10-20 times higher than ambient concentrations. Recent studies estimate that exposure to indoor air pollution associated with household solid fuel use may be responsible for nearly 1.6 million excess deaths in developing countries and about 2.6% of the global burden of disease. An understanding of the linkages between household fuel use and human health is especially crucial for developing strategies to improve household environments and the status of public health as they form an important prerequisite for all subsequent economic development. This chapter is devoted to describing the sources, emissions and patterns of exposure and consequent health risks for biomass smoke associated with household fuel use in developing country settings. Potential research needs in exposure and health risk assessments for addressing indoor air pollution and household energy issues within the mainstream of environmental health and public health policies of the region are also described.