Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from non-tobacco sources in homes within high-income countries: a systematic review
Open Access
- 28 November 2022
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health
- Vol. 16 (3), 553-566
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-022-01288-8
Abstract
The health impacts associated with exposure to elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are well recognised. There is a substantial number of studies characterising PM2.5 concentrations outdoors, as well as in homes within low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries (HICs), there is a sizeable literature on indoor PM2.5 relating to smoking, but the evidence on exposure to PM2.5 generated from non-tobacco sources in homes is sparse. This is especially relevant as people living in HICs spend the majority of their time at home, and in the northern hemisphere households often have low air exchange rates for energy efficiency. This review identified 49 studies that described indoor PM2.5 concentrations generated from a variety of common household sources in real-life home settings in HICs. These included wood/solid fuel burning appliances, cooking, candles, incense, cleaning and humidifiers. The reported concentrations varied widely, both between sources and within groups of the same source. The burning of solid fuels was found to generate the highest indoor PM2.5 concentrations. On occasion, other sources were also reported to be responsible for high PM2.5 concentrations; however, this was only in a few select examples. This review also highlights the many inconsistencies in the ways data are collected and reported. The variable methods of measurement and reporting make comparison and interpretation of data difficult. There is a need for standardisation of methods and agreed contextual data to make household PM2.5 data more useful in epidemiological studies and aid comparison of the impact of different interventions and policies.Keywords
Funding Information
- Nottingham Hospitals Charity
This publication has 93 references indexed in Scilit:
- Solid Fuel Use for Household Cooking: Country and Regional Estimates for 1980–2010Environmental Health Perspectives, 2013
- Providing cleaner energy access in Indonesia through the megaproject of kerosene conversion to LPGEnergy Policy, 2011
- Lung Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Associated with Ambient Air Pollution and Cigarette Smoke: Shape of the Exposure–Response RelationshipsEnvironmental Health Perspectives, 2011
- Contribution of solid fuel, gas combustion, or tobacco smoke to indoor air pollutant concentrations in Irish and Scottish homesIndoor Air, 2011
- Review of relationship between indoor and outdoor particles: I/O ratio, infiltration factor and penetration factorAtmospheric Environment, 2011
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Commercial Portable Air Purifier in Homes with Wood Burning Stoves: A Preliminary StudyJournal of Environmental and Public Health, 2011
- Validation of continuous particle monitors for personal, indoor, and outdoor exposuresJournal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2010
- Changes in Lung Function and Airway Inflammation Among Asthmatic Children Residing in a Woodsmoke-Impacted Urban AreaInhalation Toxicology, 2008
- Relationship between indoor and outdoor levels of fine particle mass, particle number concentrations and black smoke under different ventilation conditionsJournal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 2004
- Particle concentrations in inner-city homes of children with asthma: the effect of smoking, cooking, and outdoor pollution.Environmental Health Perspectives, 2003