Mitigation of Ulaanbaatar city's air pollution - from source aportionment to ultra-low emission lignite burning stoves

The extraordinary air pollution in Ulaanbaatar (up to 4 200 μg m-3) was monitored using Nucleopore® filters and particle counters. Particle analysis confirmed low temperature coal combustion as the major air quality problem in poor districts. High time-resolution PM 2.5 data showed particles are emitted during the ignition of lignite fires. Over 50% of all PM comes from the ignition phase of stoves lighted in the morning and in the late afternoon after people arrive home from work. A laboratory (modelled on the SeTAR Centre Laboratory, University of Johannesburg) was established to quantify domestic stove emissions. Measured particulate matter was as much as 12 g m-3 of flue gases. Data analysis uses the SeTAR Centre Heterogeneous Testing Protocols and analytical methods. A combustor testing programme led rapidly to the development of an extremely clean-burning cooking and space heating stove that has been developed and brought to market within a single year. An acceptable 9 kW low-emission (up to 99% reduction of PM 2.5) and high efficiency (50% fuel savings) crossdraft cooking and space heating stove was developed and is being piloted for large scale production in Ulaanbaatar at this time

The impact of the environment on health in Mongolia: A systematic review

Mongolia has significant exposure to environmental risk factors because of poor environmental management and behaviors, and children are increasingly vulnerable to these threats. This study aimed to assess levels of exposure and summarize the evidence for associations between exposures to environmental risk factors and adverse health outcomes in Mongolia, with a particular focus on children. A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Global Health Library, CINAHL, CABI, Scopus, and mongolmed.mn electronic databases up to April 2014. A total of 59 studies meeting the predetermined criteria were included. Results indicate that the Mongolian population has significant exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollution, metals, environmental tobacco smoke, and other chemical toxins, and these risk factors have been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among adults and respiratory diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders among children. Well-designed epidemiological investigations in vulnerable populations especially in pregnant women and children are recommended