Determinants of exposure to household air pollution in rural Malawi

The very high exposure of people to airborne combustion products 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 108 households in the study. Additionally, they collected both personal (the primary 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. The goal of the study was to do a multivariate 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. The study found that the interaction of ventilation, moisture content, stove type, income quintile, and household size in a multivariate regression model best explains the variance of household air pollutant concentrations. The identification of these determinants allows for further studies on targeted interventions that reduce pollutant concentrations and adverse health outcomes.Bachelor of Scienc