Indoor exposure to respirable particulate matter and particulate-phase PAHs in rural homes in North India.
In order to evaluate the exposure of the northern India rural population to polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) inhalation, indoor pollution was assessed by collecting and analyzing the respirable particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 in several homes of the village Bhithauli near Lucknow, UP. The home selection was determined by a survey. Given the nature of biomass used for cooking, homes were divided into two groups, one using all kinds of biomass and the second type using plant materials only. Indoor mean concentrations of PM2.5 and associated PAHs during cooking ranged from 1.19±0.29 to 2.38±0.35 and 6.21±1.54 to 12.43±1.15 μg/m3, respectively. Similarly, PM10 and total PAHs were in the range of 3.95±1.21 to 8.81±0.78 and 7.75±1.42 to 15.77±1.05 μg/m3, respectively. The pollutant levels during cooking were significantly higher compared to the noncooking period. The study confirmed that indoor pollution depends on the kind of biomass fuel used for cooking.
Ansari
Furquan Ahmad
FA
Fiber Toxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Post Box No. 80, Lucknow, 226 001, India.
Khan
Altaf Husain
AH
Patel
Devendra Kumar
DK
Siddiqui
Huma
H
Sharma
Shachi
S
Ashquin
Mohammad
M
Ahmad
Iqbal
I
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D056804:Biofuels; D003296:Cooking; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007194:India; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D056804:Biofuels; D052638:Particulate Matter; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons