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. 2013 Sep 11;12(1):77.
doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-12-77.

State and national household concentrations of PM2.5 from solid cookfuel use: results from measurements and modeling in India for estimation of the global burden of disease

Kalpana Balakrishnan  1 , Santu Ghosh, Bhaswati Ganguli, Sankar Sambandam, Nigel Bruce, Douglas F Barnes, Kirk R Smith
Affiliations

State and national household concentrations of PM2.5 from solid cookfuel use: results from measurements and modeling in India for estimation of the global burden of disease

Kalpana Balakrishnan et al. Environ Health. .

Abstract

Background: Previous global burden of disease (GBD) estimates for household air pollution (HAP) from solid cookfuel use were based on categorical indicators of exposure. Recent progress in GBD methodologies that use integrated-exposure-response (IER) curves for combustion particles required the development of models to quantitatively estimate average HAP levels experienced by large populations. Such models can also serve to inform public health intervention efforts. Thus, we developed a model to estimate national household concentrations of PM2.5 from solid cookfuel use in India, together with estimates for 29 states.

Methods: We monitored 24-hr household concentrations of PM2.5, in 617 rural households from 4 states in India on a cross-sectional basis between November 2004 and March 2005. We then, developed log-linear regression models that predict household concentrations as a function of multiple, independent household level variables available in national household surveys and generated national / state estimates using The Indian National Family and Health Survey (NFHS 2005).

Results: The measured mean 24-hr concentration of PM2.5 in solid cookfuel using households ranged from 163 μg/m3 (95% CI: 143,183; median 106; IQR: 191) in the living area to 609 μg/m3 (95% CI: 547,671; median: 472; IQR: 734) in the kitchen area. Fuel type, kitchen type, ventilation, geographical location and cooking duration were found to be significant predictors of PM2.5 concentrations in the household model. k-fold cross validation showed a fair degree of correlation (r = 0.56) between modeled and measured values. Extrapolation of the household results by state to all solid cookfuel-using households in India, covered by NFHS 2005, resulted in a modeled estimate of 450 μg/m3 (95% CI: 318,640) and 113 μg/m3 (95% CI: 102,127) , for national average 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations in the kitchen and living areas respectively.

Conclusions: The model affords substantial improvement over commonly used exposure indicators such as "percent solid cookfuel use" in HAP disease burden assessments, by providing some of the first estimates of national average HAP levels experienced in India. Model estimates also add considerable strength of evidence for framing and implementation of intervention efforts at the state and national levels.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Box plots showing the distribution of 24 hr PM 2.5 concentrations in the kitchen area and living area areas in study households across 4 states (Note: NSF indicates use of kerosene and/or LPG as the primary fuel).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results from validation studies: Scatter plot of modeled vs. measured kitchen area PM 2.5 (top) concentrations obtained from the k-fold cross validation analyses; Residual vs. fitted values (bottom) from the model.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatter plot of measured kitchen vs. measured living area 24-hr PM 2.5 concentrations.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Weighted state estimates for average 24 hr kitchen area concentrations of PM 2.5 for all solid- fuel-using households in India (Note: Solid-fuel-using households include both urban and rural households. State estimates are weighted by the percentages of rural, urban households using solid cookfuels as the primary fuel, respectively. Numbers indicate names of states as provided in Table 3).
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References

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