Evaluating the Effects of Access to Air Quality Data on Household Air Pollution and Exposure—An Interrupted Time Series Experimental Study in Rwanda

Chantal Iribagiza, Taylor Sharpe, Jeremy Coyle, Pie Nkubito, Ricardo Piedrahita, Michael Johnson and Evan A. Thomas
Additional contact information
Chantal Iribagiza: Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Taylor Sharpe: Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Jeremy Coyle: Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Pie Nkubito: Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
Ricardo Piedrahita: Berkeley Air Monitoring Group, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Michael Johnson: Berkeley Air Monitoring Group, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Evan A. Thomas: Mortenson Center in Global Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-15

Abstract: In Sub-Saharan Africa, around 80% of residential energy demand is for cooking, with over 760 million people without access to clean cooking fuels and stoves. Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ) is a significant pollutant from biomass burning and is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes. Energy poverty further reinforces gender disparities, keeps children from schools, causes environmental degradation, and interferes with social and economic development. Lack of access to and inadequate adoption of clean cooking stoves and fuels are key barriers to improved air quality. This paper presents a field experiment nested within a large-scale health efficacy trial. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effects of access to air quality data and dynamic feedback on indoor air pollution (IAP) and personal exposure. Ninety households in Rwanda were enrolled and provided with an air quality sensor and feedback device, which measured real-time indoor air quality as PM 2.5 for sixteen weeks. After six weeks, PM 2.5 levels were provided dynamically to households through a display and an auditory alarm. We examined the effects of receiving this feedback on IAP and personal exposure. While access to air quality data did not, in aggregate, improve PM 2.5 levels, we did observe several promising correlations worthy of further investigation. The associations between personal exposure or rainfall and increased PM 2.5 were reduced after households had access to air quality data. We hypothesized that the behavior changes required to observe these effects—opening doors and windows and moving away from cooking sources—are easy and immediate, in contrast to the costs and complex logistics of entirely eliminating biomass cooking. The types of behavior changes that would directly impact household air pollution and exposure require more than just awareness and willingness to act.

Keywords: clean cooking adoption; LPG; air quality; IAP; PM 2.5; behavioral intervention; household air pollution; personal exposure; Rwanda (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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