Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel

Ethan S. Walker; Curtis W. Noonan; Erin O. Semmens; Desirae Ware; Paul Smith; Bert B. Boyer; Esther Erdei; Scarlett E. Hopkins; Johnnye Lewis; Annie Belcourt; Tony J. Ward

doi:10.1111/ina.12808

Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel

Ethan S. Walker
, Curtis W. Noonan
, Erin O. Semmens
, Desirae Ware
, Paul Smith
, Bert B. Boyer
, Esther Erdei
, Scarlett E. Hopkins
, Johnnye Lewis
, Annie Belcourt
, Tony J. Ward

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Household heating using wood stoves is common practice in many rural areas of the United States (US) and can lead to elevated concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). We collected 6-day measures of indoor PM_2.5 during the winter and evaluated household and stove-use characteristics in homes at three rural and diverse study sites. The median indoor PM_2.5 concentration across all homes was 19 µg/m³, with higher concentrations in Alaska (median = 30, minimum = 4, maximum = 200, n = 10) and Navajo Nation homes (median = 29, minimum = 3, maximum = 105, n = 23) compared with Montana homes (median = 16, minimum = 2, maximum = 139, n = 59). Households that had not cleaned the chimney within the past year had 65% higher geometric mean PM_2.5 compared to those with chimney cleaned within 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1, 170). Based on a novel wood stove grading method, homes with low-quality and medium-quality stoves had substantially higher PM_2.5 compared to homes with higher-quality stoves (186% higher [95% CI: 32, 519] and 161% higher; [95% CI:27, 434], respectively). Our findings highlight the need for, and complex nature of, regionally appropriate interventions to reduce indoor air pollution in rural wood-burning regions. Higher-quality stoves and behavioral practices such as regular chimney cleaning may help improve indoor air quality in such homes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1109-1124
Number of pages	16
Journal	Indoor Air
Volume	31
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12808
State	Published - Jul 2021

Funding

The authors thank the many families that chose to participate in this research. The project also benefited from the strong support of community leaders and local research assistants from all study locations, the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board, Mark Kindred, Dr. Joseph Klejka, Emily Weiler, Carolyn Hester, Kathrene Conway, Becky Smith, Josephine Watson, Justina Yazzie, Doris Tsinnijinnie, Monica Begay, Malcolm Benally, and Kenlynn Henry. The wood stove photographs from Figure 1 are courtesy of Emily Weiler. The study is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 1R01ES022649. Development of the educational intervention was also supported by NIEHS, 1R01ES022583. Additional support was provided by the National Institutes of Health Office of the Director Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (8UG1OD024952), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (1P20GM130418), and the Navajo Birth Cohort Study Pediatric Cohort in Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (NBCS/ECHO) UG3/UH3OD023344, NIH Office of the Director. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Funder number
8UG1OD024952
UG3/UH3OD023344, 1P20GM130418
R01ES022583, 1R01ES022649

Keywords

biomass burning
indoor air pollution
particulate matter
rural health
stove use
wood stove

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1111/ina.12808

Cite this

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title = "Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel",

abstract = "Household heating using wood stoves is common practice in many rural areas of the United States (US) and can lead to elevated concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We collected 6-day measures of indoor PM2.5 during the winter and evaluated household and stove-use characteristics in homes at three rural and diverse study sites. The median indoor PM2.5 concentration across all homes was 19 µg/m3, with higher concentrations in Alaska (median = 30, minimum = 4, maximum = 200, n = 10) and Navajo Nation homes (median = 29, minimum = 3, maximum = 105, n = 23) compared with Montana homes (median = 16, minimum = 2, maximum = 139, n = 59). Households that had not cleaned the chimney within the past year had 65\% higher geometric mean PM2.5 compared to those with chimney cleaned within 6 months (95\% confidence interval [CI]: −1, 170). Based on a novel wood stove grading method, homes with low-quality and medium-quality stoves had substantially higher PM2.5 compared to homes with higher-quality stoves (186\% higher [95\% CI: 32, 519] and 161\% higher; [95\% CI:27, 434], respectively). Our findings highlight the need for, and complex nature of, regionally appropriate interventions to reduce indoor air pollution in rural wood-burning regions. Higher-quality stoves and behavioral practices such as regular chimney cleaning may help improve indoor air quality in such homes.",

keywords = "biomass burning, indoor air pollution, particulate matter, rural health, stove use, wood stove",

author = "Walker, \{Ethan S.\} and Noonan, \{Curtis W.\} and Semmens, \{Erin O.\} and Desirae Ware and Paul Smith and Boyer, \{Bert B.\} and Esther Erdei and Hopkins, \{Scarlett E.\} and Johnnye Lewis and Annie Belcourt and Ward, \{Tony J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 John Wiley \& Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd",

year = "2021",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/ina.12808",

language = "English",

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T1 - Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel

AU - Walker, Ethan S.

AU - Noonan, Curtis W.

AU - Semmens, Erin O.

AU - Ware, Desirae

AU - Smith, Paul

AU - Boyer, Bert B.

AU - Erdei, Esther

AU - Hopkins, Scarlett E.

AU - Lewis, Johnnye

AU - Belcourt, Annie

AU - Ward, Tony J.

PY - 2021/7

Y1 - 2021/7

N2 - Household heating using wood stoves is common practice in many rural areas of the United States (US) and can lead to elevated concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We collected 6-day measures of indoor PM2.5 during the winter and evaluated household and stove-use characteristics in homes at three rural and diverse study sites. The median indoor PM2.5 concentration across all homes was 19 µg/m3, with higher concentrations in Alaska (median = 30, minimum = 4, maximum = 200, n = 10) and Navajo Nation homes (median = 29, minimum = 3, maximum = 105, n = 23) compared with Montana homes (median = 16, minimum = 2, maximum = 139, n = 59). Households that had not cleaned the chimney within the past year had 65% higher geometric mean PM2.5 compared to those with chimney cleaned within 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1, 170). Based on a novel wood stove grading method, homes with low-quality and medium-quality stoves had substantially higher PM2.5 compared to homes with higher-quality stoves (186% higher [95% CI: 32, 519] and 161% higher; [95% CI:27, 434], respectively). Our findings highlight the need for, and complex nature of, regionally appropriate interventions to reduce indoor air pollution in rural wood-burning regions. Higher-quality stoves and behavioral practices such as regular chimney cleaning may help improve indoor air quality in such homes.

AB - Household heating using wood stoves is common practice in many rural areas of the United States (US) and can lead to elevated concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We collected 6-day measures of indoor PM2.5 during the winter and evaluated household and stove-use characteristics in homes at three rural and diverse study sites. The median indoor PM2.5 concentration across all homes was 19 µg/m3, with higher concentrations in Alaska (median = 30, minimum = 4, maximum = 200, n = 10) and Navajo Nation homes (median = 29, minimum = 3, maximum = 105, n = 23) compared with Montana homes (median = 16, minimum = 2, maximum = 139, n = 59). Households that had not cleaned the chimney within the past year had 65% higher geometric mean PM2.5 compared to those with chimney cleaned within 6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: −1, 170). Based on a novel wood stove grading method, homes with low-quality and medium-quality stoves had substantially higher PM2.5 compared to homes with higher-quality stoves (186% higher [95% CI: 32, 519] and 161% higher; [95% CI:27, 434], respectively). Our findings highlight the need for, and complex nature of, regionally appropriate interventions to reduce indoor air pollution in rural wood-burning regions. Higher-quality stoves and behavioral practices such as regular chimney cleaning may help improve indoor air quality in such homes.

KW - biomass burning

KW - indoor air pollution

KW - particulate matter

KW - rural health

KW - stove use

KW - wood stove

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85101206329

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DO - 10.1111/ina.12808

M3 - Article

C2 - 33620109

AN - SCOPUS:85101206329

SN - 0905-6947

VL - 31

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JO - Indoor Air

JF - Indoor Air

IS - 4

ER -

Indoor fine particulate matter and demographic, household, and wood stove characteristics among rural US homes heated with wood fuel

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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