title: Levels of PM2.5/PM10 and associated metal(loid)s in rural households of Henan Province, China.
abstract: Although a majority of China's rural residents use solid fuels (biomass and coal) for household cooking and heating, clean energy such as electricity and liquid petroleum gas is becoming more popular in the rural area. Unfortunately, both solid fuels and clean energy could result in indoor air pollution. Daily respirable particulate matter (PM≤10 μm) and inhalable particulate matter (PM≤2.5 μm) were investigated in kitchens, sitting rooms and outdoor area in rural Henan during autumn (Sep to Oct 2012) and winter (Jan 2013). The results showed that PM (PM2.5 and PM10) and associated metal(loid)s varied among the two seasons and the four types of domestic energy used. Mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in kitchens during winter were 59.2-140.4% and 30.5-145.1% higher than those during autumn, respectively. Similar with the trends of PM2.5 and PM10, concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Mn in household PM2.5 and PM10 were apparently higher in winter than those in autumn. The highest mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 (368.5 and 588.7 μg m(-3)) were recorded in sitting rooms in Baofeng during winter, which were 5.7 and 3.9 times of corresponding health based guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Using coal can result in severe indoor air pollutants including PM and associated metal(loid)s compared with using crop residues, electricity and gas in rural Henan Province. Rural residents' exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 would be roughly reduced by 13.5-22.2% and 8.9-37.7% via replacing coal or crop residues with electricity. The present study suggested that increased use of electricity as domestic energy would effectively improve indoor air quality in rural China.
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, PR China; Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, PR China; Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China; Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, PR China. Electronic address: wfy09@163.com.
authors.forename: Fuyong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, PR China; Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, PR China; Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu Bon
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Man
authors.affiliation: School of Municipal and Environment Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Pingdingshan 467036, PR China.
authors.forename: Chuen Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenxin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, PR China; Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China. Electronic address: mhwong@hkbu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Ming Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005191:Family Characteristics; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Indoor air pollution; PM; Rural area; Solid biomass fuel; Trace element