TITLE:
Exposure to Emissions from Kerosene Cooking Stoves and the Pulmonary Health Status of Women in Olorunda Community, Ibadan, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
B. A. Adeniji, G. R. E. E. Ana, B. O. Adedokun, O. I. Ige
KEYWORDS:
Kerosene Stoves, Air Pollution, Lung Function Status, Rural Women, Ibadan
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.6 No.5,
May
4,
2015
ABSTRACT: Exposure
to high PM10 by women and children for hours on a daily basis in
poor ventilated kitchen may lead to respiratory morbidity among this vulnerable
group. In Nigeria, data on the levels of air pollutants associated with
kerosene stove combustion are very scarce. Like-wise little had been documented
on the pulmonary health of women exposed to kerosene stove emission. This study
was carried out to measure the levels of kerosene combustion emissions within
kitchen environments and also assess the pulmonary function status of the
exposed women at baseline. Particulate matter (PM10) and gaseous emissions
(GE) were measured in six purposively selected clusters of regular kerosene
stove users (KSU) using gravimetric sampler and gas monitors, respectively and
their values compared with WHO guideline limits. 167 randomly selected KSU were
surveyed to elicit their socio demographic features. A spirometer was used to
assess the lung function status (FEV1) of 72 KSU in six
neighbourhood kitchen clusters. Data were analysed using descriptive
statistics, and Pearson’s correlation tests. Respondents’ mean age was 38 + 12.9
years. Mean duration of exposure to GE was 18.9 + 9.8 years. Mean PM10 was 248.1 + 14.1 μg/m3 and ten folds higher than WHO guideline limit
of 25 μg/m3. Mean GE in ppm were: CO (0.00), CO2 (200.1 +
12.4), SO2 (0.01 + 0.00) and NO2 (0.00). Mean FEV1 among KSU was 2.0 + 0.5 litres which was significantly lower than the mean
predicted value of 2.7 ± 0.5 litres. There was a negative correlation between
PM10 and FEV1 (r = -0.7539, p > 0.05). Safer cooking
methods and practices to obviate health hazards are advocated.