Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution
In experimental settings, replacing old wood stoves with new wood stoves results in reduced personal exposure to household air pollution. We tested this assumption by measuring PM<sub>2.5</sub> and levoglucosan concentrations inside homes and correlated them with wood stove age. Methods:...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/10/615 |
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| author | Mizanur Rahman Hans Petersen Hammad Irshad Congjian Liu Jacob McDonald Akshay Sood Paula M. Meek Yohannes Tesfaigzi |
| author_facet | Mizanur Rahman Hans Petersen Hammad Irshad Congjian Liu Jacob McDonald Akshay Sood Paula M. Meek Yohannes Tesfaigzi |
| author_sort | Mizanur Rahman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In experimental settings, replacing old wood stoves with new wood stoves results in reduced personal exposure to household air pollution. We tested this assumption by measuring PM<sub>2.5</sub> and levoglucosan concentrations inside homes and correlated them with wood stove age. Methods: Thirty homes in the Albuquerque, NM area were monitored over a seven-day period using in-home particulate monitors placed in a common living area during the winter months. Real-time aerosol monitoring was performed, and filter samples were analyzed gravimetrically to calculate PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations and chemically to determine concentrations of levoglucosan. A linear regression model with backward stepwise elimination was performed to determine the factors that would predict household air pollution measures. Results: In this sample, 73.3% of the households used wood as their primary source of heating, and 60% burned daily or almost daily. The mean burn time over the test week was 50 ± 38 h, and only one household burned wood 24/day (168 h). The average PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration (standard deviation) for the 30 homes during the seven-day period was 34.6 µg/m<sup>3</sup> (41.3 µg/m<sup>3</sup>), and median (min, max) values were 15.5 µg/m<sup>3</sup> (7.3 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, 193 µg/m<sup>3</sup>). Average PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations in 30 homes ranged from 0–15 μg/m<sup>3</sup> to >100 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. Maximum PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations ranged from 100–200 μg/m<sup>3</sup> to >3000 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. The levoglucosan levels showed a linear correlation with the total PM<sub>2.5</sub> collected by the filters (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.92). However, neither mean nor peak PM<sub>2.5</sub> nor levoglucosan levels were correlated with the age (10.85 ± 8.54 years) of the wood stove (R<sup>2</sup> ≤ 0.07, <i>p</i> > 0.23). The final adjusted linear regression model showed that average PM<sub>2.5</sub> was associated with reports of cleaning the flue with a beta estimate of 35.56 (3.47–67.65) and R<sup>2</sup> = 0.16 (<i>p</i> = 0.04). Discussion: Cleaning the flue and not the wood stove age was associated with household air pollution indices. Education on wood stove maintenance and safe burning practices may be more important in reducing household air pollution than the purchase of new stoves. |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:25:35Z |
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| spelling | doaj.art-204b71bf75f4455d821d7ed6e7750d6c2023-11-24T02:58:04ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042022-10-01101061510.3390/toxics10100615Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air PollutionMizanur Rahman0Hans Petersen1Hammad Irshad2Congjian Liu3Jacob McDonald4Akshay Sood5Paula M. Meek6Yohannes Tesfaigzi7Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USAChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Program, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USAApplied Sciences, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USAPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USAApplied Sciences, Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Miners Colfax Medical Center, Raton, NM 87740, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Miners Colfax Medical Center, Raton, NM 87740, USAPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USAIn experimental settings, replacing old wood stoves with new wood stoves results in reduced personal exposure to household air pollution. We tested this assumption by measuring PM<sub>2.5</sub> and levoglucosan concentrations inside homes and correlated them with wood stove age. Methods: Thirty homes in the Albuquerque, NM area were monitored over a seven-day period using in-home particulate monitors placed in a common living area during the winter months. Real-time aerosol monitoring was performed, and filter samples were analyzed gravimetrically to calculate PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations and chemically to determine concentrations of levoglucosan. A linear regression model with backward stepwise elimination was performed to determine the factors that would predict household air pollution measures. Results: In this sample, 73.3% of the households used wood as their primary source of heating, and 60% burned daily or almost daily. The mean burn time over the test week was 50 ± 38 h, and only one household burned wood 24/day (168 h). The average PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration (standard deviation) for the 30 homes during the seven-day period was 34.6 µg/m<sup>3</sup> (41.3 µg/m<sup>3</sup>), and median (min, max) values were 15.5 µg/m<sup>3</sup> (7.3 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, 193 µg/m<sup>3</sup>). Average PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations in 30 homes ranged from 0–15 μg/m<sup>3</sup> to >100 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. Maximum PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations ranged from 100–200 μg/m<sup>3</sup> to >3000 μg/m<sup>3</sup>. The levoglucosan levels showed a linear correlation with the total PM<sub>2.5</sub> collected by the filters (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.92). However, neither mean nor peak PM<sub>2.5</sub> nor levoglucosan levels were correlated with the age (10.85 ± 8.54 years) of the wood stove (R<sup>2</sup> ≤ 0.07, <i>p</i> > 0.23). The final adjusted linear regression model showed that average PM<sub>2.5</sub> was associated with reports of cleaning the flue with a beta estimate of 35.56 (3.47–67.65) and R<sup>2</sup> = 0.16 (<i>p</i> = 0.04). Discussion: Cleaning the flue and not the wood stove age was associated with household air pollution indices. Education on wood stove maintenance and safe burning practices may be more important in reducing household air pollution than the purchase of new stoves.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/10/615wood stovewood smokehousehold air pollutionstove ageparticulate matterstove maintenance |
| spellingShingle | Mizanur Rahman Hans Petersen Hammad Irshad Congjian Liu Jacob McDonald Akshay Sood Paula M. Meek Yohannes Tesfaigzi Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution Toxics wood stove wood smoke household air pollution stove age particulate matter stove maintenance |
| title | Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution |
| title_full | Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution |
| title_fullStr | Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution |
| title_short | Cleaning the Flue in Wood-Burning Stoves Is a Key Factor in Reducing Household Air Pollution |
| title_sort | cleaning the flue in wood burning stoves is a key factor in reducing household air pollution |
| topic | wood stove wood smoke household air pollution stove age particulate matter stove maintenance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/10/10/615 |
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