Indoor Air Pollution from Solid Fuel Use: Sources and Assessment Methods – A Literature Review

Abstract

This paper examines the causes of deteriorating indoor air quality and the various methods of studying air pollutant emissions associated with the use of solid fuel stoves. Indoor air quality has long received less attention than outdoor air quality, despite the fact that most people spend more time indoors in buildings with higher pollution levels than outdoors. Exposure to air pollutants such as fine particles and carbon monoxide can lead to respiratory illness and death. A literature review was carried out to identify the causes of indoor air pollution and the devices and methods most commonly used to characterize air pollutant emissions from several sources, including cooking stoves. Air pollution databases were consulted and the performance of solid fuel stoves was studied. Indoor air quality is influenced by a number of pollution sources, including the influence of outdoor air, building characteristics and kitchen equipment. The main sources of indoor air pollution in middle and low-income countries are the incomplete combustion of wood and charcoal in households using open fires and traditional stoves for cooking, and kerosene for lighting. Study methods have been implemented to characterize emissions of indoor air pollutants. Some of these methods are used in field studies, others in controlled laboratory environments.