Exposure assessment for respirable particulates associated with household fuel use in rural districts of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Indoor air pollution associated with combustion of solid fuels seems to be a major contributor to the national burden of disease in India, but relatively few quantitative exposure assessment studies are available. This study quantified the daily average concentrations of respirable particulates (50% cut-off at 4 microm) in 412 rural homes selected through stratified random sampling from three districts of Andhra Pradesh, India and recorded time activity data from 1400 individuals to reconstruct 24-h average exposures. The mean 24-h average concentrations ranged from 73 to 732 microg/m(3) in gas- versus solid fuel-using households, respectively. Concentrations were significantly correlated with fuel type, kitchen type, and fuel quantity. The mean 24-h average exposures ranged from 80 to 573 microg/m(3). Among solid fuel users, the mean 24-h average exposures were the highest for women cooks and were significantly different from men and children. Among women, exposures were the highest in the age group of 15-40 years (most likely to be involved in cooking or helping in cooking), while among men, exposures were highest in the age group of 65-80 years (most likely to be indoors). The data are being used to develop a model to predict quantitative categories of population exposure based on survey information on housing and fuel characteristics. This would facilitate the development of a regional exposure database and enable better estimation of health risks.
Balakrishnan
Kalpana
K
Environmental Health Engineering, Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute (Deemed University), Chennai, India. kalpanasrmc@vsnl.com
Sambandam
Sankar
S
Ramaswamy
Padmavathi
P
Mehta
Sumi
S
Smith
Kirk R
KR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D018533:Biomass; D003296:Cooking; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors