Identifying determinants of exposure to household air pollution in rural Malawi (2015)
Undergraduates: Sangeetha Kumar, Joe Pedit Sangeetha Kumar
Faculty Advisor: Pamela Jagger
Department: Environmental Science
The very high exposure of people in developing nations who use solid fuels (mainly wood) as the only source of fuel for cooking, often in inefficient stoves and with poor ventilation, is an important public health and environmental issue. A research study done by UNC¿¿¿s FUEL (Forest Use, Energy, and Livelihoods) Lab collected data on determinants of exposure to household air pollution in rural Malawi. The field study collected carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM2.5) for a period of 24 hours in each of the 100 households in the study. Additionally, they collected both personal (the cooks of the household wore the monitors) and area (placed in the primary cooking area) concentration measurements along with completing an in-depth questionnaire with the household owners. Analysis is currently being done to compare personal and area concentrations of CO and PM2.5 as well as measures of BC (Black Carbon). The end goal is to do a multiple regression analysis of household pollutant levels to see how different factors ¿¿¿ the type of fuel, fuel quality, stove design, ventilation conditions, etc ¿¿¿ influence indoor air pollutant exposures.