US EPA

1255347 

Journal Article 

Monitoring and Respiratory Health Assessment of the Population Exposed to Cooking Fuel Emissions in a Rural Area of Jalgaon District, India 

Ingale, LT; Dube, KJ; Sarode, DB; Attarde, SB; Ingle, ST 

2013 

1 

Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health
ISSN: 1010-5395
EISSN: 1941-2479 

25 

6 

463-475 

English 

21914708 

10.1177/1010539511420994 

WOS:000329489300004 

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. 

cooking fuels; indoor air pollution; PM10; pulmonary function test; public health