Air Quality and Acute Respiratory Illness in Biomass Fuel using homes in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

James H. Kilabuko, Hidieki Matsuki and Satoshi Nakai
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James H. Kilabuko: Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
Hidieki Matsuki: Tokai University School of Health Sciences, Bohseidai Isehara Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
Satoshi Nakai: Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University 79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan

IJERPH, 2007, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Respiratory Diseases are public health concern worldwide. The diseases have been associated with air pollution especially indoor air pollution from biomass fuel burning in developing countries. However, researches on pollution levels and on association of respiratory diseases with biomass fuel pollution are limited. A study was therefore undertaken to characterize the levels of pollutants in biomass fuel using homes and examine the association between biomass fuel smoke exposure and Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) disease in Nianjema village in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Pollution was assessed by measuring PM 10 , NO 2 , and CO concentrations in kitchen, living room and outdoors. ARI prevalence was assessed by use of questionnaire which gathered health information for all family members under the study. Results showed that PM 10 , NO 2 , and CO concentrations were highest in the kitchen and lowest outdoors. Kitchen concentrations were highest in the kitchen located in the living room for all pollutants except CO. Family size didn’t have effect on the levels measured in kitchens. Overall ARI prevalence for cooks and children under age 5 making up the exposed group was 54.67% with odds ratio (OR) of 5.5; 95% CI 3.6 to 8.5 when compared with unexposed men and non-regular women cooks. Results of this study suggest an association between respiratory diseases and exposure to domestic biomass fuel smoke, but further studies with improved design are needed to confirm the association.

Keywords: Biomass fuels; kitchen; cooking; pollution; acute respiratory infections (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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