Household Air Pollution

Abstract

Household air pollution from the use of biomass fuels is a major public health hazard affecting over 3 billion people living in developing countries most of whom are women and children. In Sudan the national burden of disease attributed to biomass fuel use is estimated to be 0.7% but may be significantly higher as this is an estimate based on estimates of exposure. Biomass fuel combustion releases many toxic pollutants which are damaging to the respiratory tract, the cardiovascular and neurologic systems and are associated with low birth weight and fetal wastage. Household air pollution has been studied primarily by using devices which measure exposure in dwellings and on the clothes of the residents. These devices measure the most important pollutants, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. Although inhaled sulfur dioxide and particulate matter damage the lungs, only carbon monoxide is systemically absorbed and only carbon monoxide can be measured in the body. In this paper, we will review the pathophysiology of carbon monoxide poisoning and report some preliminary results of the study which we, Prof. Suliman and our colleagues from Sudan carried out immediately prior to this conference