Journal of Environmental Biology

Lung function impairment in women exposed to biomass
fuels during cooking compared to cleaner fuels in Uttar Pradesh, India

Vipin Bihari^1*, S.M. Iqbal², L.P. Srivastava⁴, C. Kesavachandran¹ and M.J.A. Siddique³

¹Epidemiology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow-226 001, India

²Integral University, Lucknow-226 026, India

³Department of Environmental Science, Integral University, Lucknow-226 026, India

⁴Pesticide Toxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow-226 001, India

*Corresponding Author email : vipinbihari31@rediffmail.com 

 Publication Data

Paper received:

23 August 2012

Revised received:

25 December 2012

Accepted:

25 January 2013

Abstract

A national survey has shown that approximately 75-80% use of fire wood and chips, 10% of dung cake rural women in Uttar Pradesh, India. Considering the respiratory health risk of biomass fuel exposure to women, a cross sectional study was conducted to elucidate the relationship between cooking smoke and lung function impairments. The present study showed significant decline in air flow limitation based on reduced PEFR (3.69 l sec^-1) and FEV₁ (1.34 l sec^-1) in women cooking with biomass fuels compared to PEFR (4.26 l sec^-1) and FEV₁ (1.73 l sec^-1) in women cooking with cleaner fuels. The noxious gases and particles generated from biomass fuels during cooking reported in earlier studies may be the reason for the slight decline in airway status PEFR (3.69 l sec^-1)? and lung volumes FEV₁? (1.34 l sec^-1) . The higher mean bio-fuels exposure index (52.15 hr-yrs) can attribute to reduced lung function in rural women.

?Key words

Biomass fuels, Lung function, Rural women

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