Indoor air pollution from cook-stoves during Injera baking in Ethiopia, exposure, and health risk assessment

Abstract

This study was undertaken to assess indoor air pollution and potential exposure to particulate matters (PMs—PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₄, PM₇, PM₁₀), and total suspended particles [TSP] and total volatile organic compounds [TVOCs] during baking of Ethiopian traditional staple food, Injera using different types of stoves at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The geometric mean (GOM) of PMs pollutant using clean, improved, and traditional stoves were ranged 10.8–235, 23.6–462, and 36.4–591 µg/m³, respectively. The GOM of TVOCs in the wet and dry season using the clean, improved, and traditional stoves were 1,553, 2,234, 4,421, and 845, 1,214, and 2,662 µg/m³, respectively. The health risk of an exposed person to PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and TSP during baking of Injera was characterized and the results showed only baking of Injera using any of the stove types does not cause health problems to the baker. However, the percent contribution to the total chronic intake is high up to 38%.

Keywords:

• Biomass fuel
• cook stove
• Ethiopia
• indoor air pollution
• Injera
• particulate matter
• total volatile organic compound

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the Department of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia for providing the laboratory facilities. Asamene Embiale is thankful to the Woldia University, Ethiopia for sponsoring his PhD study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.