Biomass smoke exposures: Health outcomes measures and study design

Abstract

Epidemiological studies of biomass smoke health effects have been conducted in a variety of settings and with a variety of study designs. The Health Effects Workgroup discussed several approaches for the investigation of health effects in communities exposed to wood smoke from nearby wildland fires, intentional agricultural burning, or residential biomass burning devices such as woodstoves or cookstoves. This presentation briefly reviews observational and intervention studies that have been conducted within these exposure settings. The review is followed by a summary of discussion points among the workgroup members with particular emphasis on study design and the use of biomarkers for assessing outcomes in biomass smoke-exposed populations.

Keywords::

• Biomarkers
• biomass
• epidemiology
• health effects
• intervention trials

Acknowledgements

This conference was made possible through grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The conference was sponsored by the University of Montana CEHS (NCRR P20RR017670), the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.