[Stoves] Between PM 2.5 and PM 10

[Julien Winter]

Hi Stovers;

I was at a lecture a couple of months ago given by Dr. Paul Connett
(St. Lawrence University, NY) on the environmental risks of
gasification of municipal solid waste.  One of the things he mentioned
was the heath risks of nano particles.  He said that they can be small
enough to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain.
I searched the Web of Science to see if this kind of pollution was
being measured with cookstoves, and found the following:


Hosgood, HD; Lan, Q ; Vermeulen, R; Wei, H; Reiss, B; Coble, J; Wei,
FS; Jun, X; Wu, GP; Rothman, N (2012)  Combustion-derived nanoparticle
exposure and household solid fuel use in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, China.
International Journal Of Environmental Health Research  22: 571-581
DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2012.684147

Abstract: Combustion-derived nanoparticles (CDNPs) have not been
readably measurable until recently. We conducted a pilot study to
determine CDNP levels during solid fuel burning. The aggregate surface
area of CDNP (mu m(2)/cm(3)) was monitored continuously in 15 Chinese
homes using varying fuel types (i.e. bituminous coal, anthracite coal,
wood) and stove types (i.e. portable stoves, stoves with chimneys,
firepits). Information on fuel burning activities was collected and
PM2.5 levels were measured. Substantial exposure differences were
observed during solid fuel burning (mean: 228.1 mu m(2)/cm(3))
compared to times without combustion (mean: 14.0 mu m(2)/cm(3)). The
observed levels during burning were reduced by about four-fold in
homes with a chimney (mean: 92.1 mu m(2)/cm(3); n = 9), and effects
were present for all fuel types. Each home's CDNP measurement was only
moderately correlated with the respective PM2.5 measurements (r(2) =
0.43; p = 0.11). Our results indicate that household coal and wood
burning contributes to indoor nanoparticle levels, which are not fully
reflected in PM2.5 measurements.

There is an erratum for this article  that corrects the authorship H.
Dean Hosgood, Roel Vermeulen, Hu Wei, Boris Reiss, Joseph Coble,
Fusheng Wei, Xu Jun, Guoping Wu, Nat Rothman and Qing Lan


This paper is about CDNP released from stoves, but it does briefly
review research on toxicology:

• there is evidence that toxicity increases with decreasing particle size
• the ultrafine size fraction has been found to induce the greater
levels of inflammation and oxidative damage than it’s larger
counterparts.
• it has been suggested that due to their small diameter,
nanoparticles are capable of penetrating epithelial cells, entering
the bloodstream from the lungs

• animal studies have shown pro-inflammatory effects after inhalation
exposure; proinflammatory gene transcription has been observed as a
result of oxidative stress associated with CDNP (Shukla et al. 2000);
carbon nanoparticles have been found to exacerbate airway inflammation
and alter cytokine expression; CDNP induction of cellular reactive
oxygen species (ROS) production and toxic oxidative stress.


For TLUDs, I think we should be concerned about polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons and dioxins in these nanoparticles.

It may be that TLUD emissions are infinitely preferable to 3-stone
emissions, but where possible, I would suggest that cookstoves have
some sort of chimney.

Regards,
Julien

-- 
Julien Winter
Cobourg, ON, CANADA