Relationship between household air pollution from biomass smoke exposure, and pulmonary dysfunction, oxidant-antioxidant imbalance and systemic inflammation in rural women and children in Nigeria (original) (raw)
Related papers
Inflammation, 2011
The possibility of inflammation and neutrophil activation in response to indoor air pollution (IAP) from biomass fuel use has been investigated. For this, 142 premenopausal, never-smoking women (median age, 34 years) who cook exclusively with biomass (wood, dung, crop wastes) and 126 age-matched control women who cook with cleaner fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were enrolled. The neutrophil count in blood and sputum was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in biomass users than the control group. Flow cytometric analysis revealed marked increase in the surface expression of CD35 (complement receptor-1), CD16 (FCγ receptor III), and β2 Mac-1 integrin (CD11b/CD18) on circulating neutrophils of biomass users. Besides, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that they had 72%, 67%, and 54% higher plasma levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-12, respectively, and doubled neutrophil chemoattractant interleukin-8. Immunocytochemical study revealed significantly higher percentage of airway neutrophils expressing inducible nitric oxide synthase, while the serum level of nitric oxide was doubled in women who cooked with biomass. Spectrophotometric analysis documented higher myeloperoxidase activity in circulating neutrophils of biomass users, suggesting neutrophil activation. Flow cytometry showed excess generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by leukocytes of biomass-using women, whereas their erythrocytes contained a depleted level of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Indoor air of biomass-using households had two to four times more particulate matter with diameters of <10 μm (PM10) and <2.5 μm (PM2.5) as measured by real-time laser photometer. After controlling potential confounders, rise in proinflammatory mediators among biomass users were positively associated with PM10 and PM2.5 in indoor air, suggesting a close relationship between IAP and neutrophil activation. Besides, the levels of neutrophil activation and inflammation markers were positively associated with generation of ROS and negatively with SOD, indicating a role of oxidative stress in mediating neutrophilic inflammatory response following chronic inhalation of biomass smoke.
This study monitored the concentration of seven air pollutants and examined the concentration of Carbon monoxide (CO) and Carboxylhaemoglobin (COHb) in human breath and blood among the exposed rural women. A total of 12 villages were purposively selected from the list of villages in Odeda Local government area, (Southwestern Nigeria). Active air samplers were used to monitor air quality at the cooking points in houses selected through systematic random sampling. Air monitoring was observed in replicates between November 2012 and January 2013. In order to elicit information on energy utilization and occurrence of air pollution related health problems among the rural dwellers, one questionnaire was administered to the available female in each selected house. The mean±SD (ppm) concentrations of pollutants monitored across the villages were CO: 15.18±4.29; CO2: 44.09±10.74; NO2: 0.59±0.12; SO2: 2.05±0.65; CH4: 0.58±0.51; PM10: 98.64±9.22 and PM2.5: 43.81±11.11 at average wind speed of 3.11±0.57 m/s. The overall means of Breath CO (ppm) and % COHb were 2.17±0.58 and 1.47±0.37 respectively.
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2014
Background: Indoor air pollution is a major health problem in the developing world. In sub-Saharan Africa more than 90% of people rely on biomass to meet their domestic energy demands. Pollution from biomass fuel ranks 10th among preventable risk factors contributing to the global burden of diseases. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and the factors associated with reduced lung function in a population of women exposed to cooking fuel smoke. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a semi-rural area in Cameroon. We compared forced respiratory volume between women using wood (n5145) and women using alternative sources of energy (n5155) for cooking. Results: Chronic bronchitis was found in 7.6% of the wood smoke group and 0.6% in the alternative fuels group. We observed two cases of airflow obstruction in the wood smoke group. Factors associated with lung function impairment were chronic bronchitis, use of wood as cooking fuel, age, and height. Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms and reduced lung function are more pronounced among women using wood as cooking fuel. Improved stoves technology should be developed to reduce the effects of wood smoke on respiratory health.
Effect of Biomass Smoke on Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Functions in Rural Non-Smoking Indian Women
National Journal of Integrated Research in Medicine, 2014
Background: Majority of women living in rural areas use biomass fuels for production of domestic energy. Biomass fuels are an enormous source of indoor pollution when burned in closed space with no ventilation. Combustion products have deleterious effect on lung functions. Aim: To Study the effect of biomass smoke on respiratory symptoms and lung functions in rural non-smoking Indian woman. Materials and Methods: A comparative study was conducted among women visiting hospital ›18 years of age belonging to rural areas of Bareilly, to study the effect of biomass smoke on respiratory symptoms and lung functions. The study group comprised of 100 subjects who were exposed to biomass smoke and 100 aged matched subjects who were not exposed to biomass served as controls. A standardized respiratory questionnaire was administered to all subjects and pulmonary function tests were evaluated by MIR SPIROLAB 3. Results: The lung functions (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR) were significantly lesser in the study group, exposed to biomass fuel than the controls. Conclusion: Women cooking with biomass fuels have increased respiratory symptoms and have marked reduction in lung functions compared with those cooking with gas.
2015
Wood and Charcoal are fuels widely used for cooking by almost 85% of Zanzibar households in both urban and semi-urban areas. This wide spread use of wood and charcoal may impact indoor air quality in homes. Combustion of these traditional fuels produces a range of substances detrimental to human-health. So far, there is lack of data to quantify the levels of pollutants and their impacts in Zanzibar households. This study aimed to assess the levels of exposure to fine indoor particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic size of 2.5µm (PM 2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted by combustion of biomass fuels, and determine any association with the respiratory health of women and children less than 5 years old living in Chukwani-Zanzibar. Methods: A total of 200 households comprising of a mother child pair were sampled for the study and 200 questionnaires constituting questions for both mothers and their children were administered. In a sub-sample of 20 households, 24-hour integrated samples were collected in non-uniform households with different kitchen types, using different fuels i.e. wood, charcoal and liquefied petroleum gas. Cumulative and 24-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA) exposure to biomass pollutants among women and children less than five years of old were estimated using information on PM concentration levels, and time-activity patterns. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms associated with biomass fuels use was determined in women biomass as fuel. Similar procedures and measurement were performed in households using LPG Results: The measured mean 24-hour TWA concentrations and (standard deviation) for PM 2.5 in all 10 homes cooking with biomass fuels was 329 (121) µg/m 3 (range 28-1600 µg/m 3) with an average of 600 (28-2600) µg/m 3 during cooking hours and 12 (10)µg/m 3 (range 0-352 ppm) for CO. Households using cleaner fuel (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) had much lower concentrations 22 (11) µg/m 3 range (4-48 µg/m 3) with an average of 65µg/m 3 during cooking hours for PM and 1.5 (3.5) range (0-36 µg/m 3) for CO. From the logistic regression analysis, an increase of 100 µg/m 3 PM 2.5 was associated with increased frequency of reporting of phlegm in the morning 1.75 (95%, CI 1.40-2.29), and tightness in chest 2.53 (95% CI 1.12-5.31) for women and between 1.38 (0.87-2.22)-3.28 (1.56-6.90) for all symptoms in children. The 24-TWA mean exposure hours for women and children were 192.4µg/m 3 and 173.6µg/m 3 respectively. Conclusion: The results from this study suggest a relationship between respiratory health and biomass smoke exposure, thus emphasizing the need for potential interventions for the reduction of exposure to indoor air pollution in Chukwani.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 2011
Indoor air pollution is an ongoing problem in developing countries. Respiratory diseases are common worldwide in rural communities. This study was undertaken to estimate the respirable particulate matter (PM 10 ) concentrations emitted from cooking fuels and their effects on the respiratory health of the rural population of Jalgaon district. The respiratory status of the exposed population was assessed by conducting pulmonary function tests in the study area. The levels of forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second were lower, and difficulty in respiration and frequent coughing were more common with higher odds ratios (OR) of 2.53 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-2.83) and 1.84 (95% CI = 0.95-2.10) in agrowaste-user female subjects. Ventilatory impairment among the agrowaste-user subjects was higher than among users of gas and wood. Difficulty in respiration and frequent coughing were strongly associated in wood-user female subjects as well with ORs of 2.10 (95% CI = 0.85-2.49) and 1.79 (95% CI = 0.91-1.98), respectively. Chest pain was significantly associated in agrowaste-and wood-user female subjects. This study confirms an association between the reductions in lung efficiency with high PM 10 exposure in the rural population. The result of this study reveals an association between respiratory diseases symptoms and indoor air quality in the biomass-using rural population of Jalgaon district.
African Journal of Biomedical Research, 2009
Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of 350 rural women aged (20-70 years) in Edo State, Nigeria who actively used wood as a source of fuel for cooking was measured. The height, chest circumference, weight and blood pressure of the women were also measured. Respiratory symptoms of cough with sputum production, dyspnea, wheezing, chest tightness and chest pain were markedly elevated in the subjects compared to control. The mean PEFR value for the wood exposed women (289±19.6L/mm) was significantly lower than control (364±17.2L/mm), P <0.05.The predicted PEFR values for both Africans and Caucasians were significantly higher than the measured values. The PEFR decreased with increase in years of exposure to wood smoke and the fall was neither accounted for by age nor height. The increase in respiratory symptoms and the low PEFR values observed for women exposed to wood smoke, the severity of which is related to exposure time indicate that prolonged exposure to wood smoke is capable of impairing lung functions.
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 2013
ABSTRACT Domestic cooking with biomass fuels exposes women and children to pollutants that impair health. The objective of the study was to investigate the extent of household air pollution from biomass fuels and the effectiveness of stove intervention to improve indoor air quality, exposure-related health problems, and lung function. We conducted a community-based pilot study in three rural communities in southwest Nigeria. Indoor levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured, and exposure-related health complaints were assessed in 59 households that used firewood exclusively for cooking. Fifty-nine mother–child pairs from these households were evaluated pre-intervention and 1 year after distribution and monitored use of low-emission stoves. Mean age (± SD; years) of mothers and children were 43.0 ± 11.7 and 13.0 ± 2.5, respectively. Median indoor PM2.5 level was 1414.4 μg/m3 [interquartile range (IQR) 831.2–3437.0] pre-intervention and was significantly reduced to 130.3 μg/m3 (IQR 49.6–277.1; p < 0.0001) post-intervention. Similarly, the median CO level was reduced from 170.3 ppm (IQR 116.3–236.2) to 14.0 ppm (IQR 7.0–21.0; p < 0.0001). There were also significant reductions in frequency of respiratory symptoms (dry cough, chest tightness, difficult breathing, and runny nose) in mothers and children. Over 25 % of mothers and children had moderate airway obstruction on spirometry pre-intervention that did not improve 1 year after intervention period. Cooking with firewood causes household air pollution and compromised lung health. Introduction of low-emission stoves was effective at improving indoor air quality and reducing exposure-related symptoms.
Journal of applied toxicology : JAT, 2018
Half of the world's population still relies on solid fuels to fulfill its energy needs for cooking and space heating, leading to high levels of household air pollution (HAP), adversely affecting human health and the environment. A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted to investigate any associations between: (1) HAP metrics (mass concentration of particulate matter of aerodynamic size less than 2.5 μm (PM ), lung-deposited surface area (LDSA) and carbon monoxide (CO)); (2) a range of household and socio-demographic characteristics; and (3) lung function for women and children exposed daily to biomass cookstove emissions, in rural southern India. HAP measurements were collected inside the kitchen of 96 households, and pulmonary function tests were performed for the women and child in each enrolled household. Detailed questionnaires captured household characteristics, health histories and various socio-demographic parameters. Simple linear and logistic regression analysis was...