Indoor Air Pollution, Kitchen Improvement and Health

Over the last few decades there has been a growing recognition of the fact that ICS no longer relate to only energy and/or forestry, but also, and probably even more important, to health and indoor air pollution issues.

Results from studies carried out in several Asian countries indicate that particulate concentrations from traditional biomass using stoves are often 10 or more times higher than the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to these high levels of pollution has been consistently associated with acute respiratory infections (ARI), the largest single-category cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide

Besides being hazardous to the health of the users, biomass combustion emits CO2, CH4, N2O,CO which are at the same time direct or indirect greenhouse gases (GHGs).

In many rural homes in Asia , a kitchen is not just a place to cook and eat, but often also the place where the entire family will gather before and after meal times. Unfortunately, kitchens are often characterized as a closed space with little if any means of ventilation nor with much lighting. Smoke and other emissions (particles generated through incomplete combustion as well as soot and ash) often give rise to unhealthy conditions for those who spend prolonged periods in such an environment.

espite the potentially significant health benefits of using ICS, the living and working environment can be improved further by paying attention to the kitchen conditions. The time, however, has now come to emphasise, besides the improved living and working conditions, the positive effects improved kitchens can have on health by reducing indoor air pollution.

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