Health%20impacts%20of%20use%20of%20biofuels%20in%20the%20rural%20areas%20of%20India

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Health impacts of use of biofuels in the rural
areas of India

• Vijay Laxmi
• Jyoti Parikh

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• Scientific inquiry requires systematic
  characterization of the exposure and health
  effects. Although an association between indoor
  air pollution due to use of biofuels and
  ill-health effects has been demonstrated in a
  number of studies, confounding factors are not
  adequately controlled. Thus, in some studies we
  have pollution measurements but not enough
  information about socio-economic characteristics
  or in some cases disease prevalence are recorded
  but no measurements of level of pollution. This
  makes it difficult to understand a lot of
  uncertainties in linking pollution with symptoms
  and physical conditions of human beings.
• To understand these linkages between biofuels
  exposure, socio-economic conditions and health
  impacts a comprehensive study was carried out in
  4 states of India covering 15,293 households from
  148 villages. To administer this study MRC
  Respiratory symptoms questionnaire 1986 was
  used.

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• A physical test was also used to capture
  respiratory health status by recording lung
  function through peak flow expiratory (PEF)
  meter. The physicians examined those found
  symptomatic on the basis of MRC questionnaire for
  confirmation of disease.
• Individual health was recorded for about 80,000
  (including both direct and proxy responses) and
  31,000 lung function were recorded. State of the
  art equipment was used for monitoring and
  measurement of the pollution in approximately 700
  randomly selected households. Personal exposure
  of respirable particulate matter (RPM) was
  recorded for the chief cooks. To understand
  passive cooking effect area measurements were
  also recorded for concentration of RPM in
  different microenvironment of these households.
• The results of the pollution measurement show
  that in a southern state i.e. Tamilnadu, the
  24-hr mean exposure to respirable particulates,
  of the chief cook is between 201 48 µg/m3 for
  households using biofuels.

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• This is far below the levels quoted in the
  literature of 1500µg/m3 for Northern India.
  However, North-South difference in India (viz.,
  Tamilnadu vs Uttar Pradesh) are very pronounced
  due to differences in fuel types, type of food
  (rice vs. chappati), types of kitchen and other
  culture (women's status) and social
  characteristics (literacy). The mean exposure in
  Tamilnadu is less than in some of the highly
  polluted urban areas, but more than in the rural
  outdoors and small towns.
• The study reveals that smoking has much stronger
  impact than biofuel smoke due to process of
  direct inhaling. Non-smoker males also suffer
  from respiratory diseases. Biofuel use per se was
  not as significant explanatory variable for
  respiratory symptoms as the fuel index, which
  consists of type and number of years of
  involvement (chief cook, helper or none). Fuel
  index also captures the biofuels years along with
  type of involvement. Even when biofuels are used,
  it is the housing characteristics that determine
  the health impacts.

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Health and Disease Data Record
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Health and Disease Data Prevalence
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Disease Inference from MRC Questionnaire

• Chronic bronchitis
• Yes to cough for gt3 months gt2 years as well as
  sputum production gt3 months gt2 years
• Asthma
• Yes to wheezing but no for chronic bronchitis
  plus Yes to breathlessness
• TB Blood in the sputum
• Chest infection
• Any chest infection with sputum formation in
  the last year

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Mean Concentration of RSP at Different Kitchen
Location using Fuel Wood (?g/m3)
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Significance of Reported Symptoms and PEF with
Socio-econmic Variables

• Significance
• Symptoms PEF
• Smoking All states all symptoms All
  states
• Age All states all symptoms All states
• Fuel Index All states all symptoms All
  states
• except for blood in sputum
• Kitchen - especially in UP location
  and females of Raj.

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Significance of Reported Symptoms and PEF with
Socio-econmic Variables

• Significance
• Symptoms PEF
• Literacy All states all symptoms Not
  significant except blood in sputum except
  Raj
• eye irritation
• Land holdings Not significant All States
• No. of meals All states All states
• No. of rooms Except HP Not significant

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24- Hour Mean Exposure for Respirable
Particulates (?g/m3)
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