Indoor air quality in rural Southwestern Uganda: particulate matter, heavy metals and carbon monoxide in kitchens using charcoal fuel in Mbarara Municipality
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SN Applied Sciences
Abstract
The use of biomass energy over open fires in sub-Saharan Africa is rampant yet it is associated with air pollution. Information
on the contribution of common biomass like charcoal to indoor air pollution in Uganda is scarce; therefore,
kitchen-indoor air in charcoal fueled kitchens was characterized for fine particulate matter (
PM2.5), heavy metals and
carbon monoxide content in Mbarara Municipality Western Uganda. PM2.5
was measured using University of California
Berkeley Particle and Temperature Sensor (UCB-PATS), heavy metals were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma
Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and carbon monoxide was measured using a portable, battery-operated, datalogging
Drager Pac 7000. In the kitchens assessed, the mean 24-h concentration for PM2.5
was 0.449 mg/m3 in the wet
season and 0.526 mg/m3 in the dry season; CO was 41.52 ppm, and all concentrations were higher than the World Health
Organization 24-h Air Quality Guideline for PM2.5
of 0.024 mg/m3 and CO of 6.340 ppm. Heavy metals in particulate matter
were in concentration ranges of 1.012–9.820 μg/m3 Fe, 0.012–0.092 μg/m3 Cr, 0.060–10.750 μg/m3 Zn, 0.048–0.300 μg/
m3 Cu, 0.004–0.052 μg/m3 Pb and ND—0.004 μg/m3 Cd. All mean metal concentrations were lower than recommended
exposure levels by EPA although chronic exposure is a risk to health. Kitchen ventilation and size were found to significantly
influence indoor pollutant levels; charcoal fuel significantly contributed to indoor air pollution and is therefore a
risk factor to human health.
Description
Keywords
Charcoal, Carbon monoxide, Indoor air pollution, Particulate matter, Heavy metals
Citation
Nakora, N., Byamugisha, D., & Birungi, G. (2020). Indoor air quality in rural Southwestern Uganda: particulate matter, heavy metals and carbon monoxide in kitchens using charcoal fuel in Mbarara Municipality. SN Applied Sciences, 2(12), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-03800-0