Influence of indoor volatile organic compounds and its relative respiratory effects among children living in rural biomass cooking households of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

PURPOSE: Exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause respiratory symptoms among children, a known vulnerable group. Reports on exposures to VOCs and respiratory symptoms among South Indian children living in biomass-using households are not available thus far. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 313 rural children to assess the influence of emitted VOCs on their respiratory health. Standard analytical procedures for VOCs and Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), allied questionnaires, and all ethical considerations were fulfilled in the study. RESULTS: The increase in VOC concentrations was observed proportional to the amount of burnt biomass fuel in two selected sites in Tamil Nadu (TN) and Andhra Pradesh (AP). Houses cooked for more than 60 min showed a remarkable increase in VOC concentrations and was observed as statistically significant (p < 0.01) in AP households. Among the younger children, the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) values were found significantly higher than comparatively older children in both the sites, TN and AP. However, the trend with respect to FEV1 is statistically significant (p < 0.01) among AP children. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports reduced lung function for a considerable proportion of the VOC-exposed selected children. Based on PFT, the children who were interpreted to be normal were found to be exposed to lesser indoor TVOC concentrations in comparison with the children of the households having restrictive or obstructive impairments. Diagnostic ratios with Benzene/Toluene (B/T) and Xylene/Ethyl benzene (X/E) confirmed the presence of VOCs-emissions from adjacent cooking fuels only. The observed results of this study recommends cleaner cooking fuel-use for better respiratory health among the citizens across the country, which in turn, in line with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Government of India.

Monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emitted from kerosene fuel burning and assessment of health risks among women in selected rural and urban households of South India.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well-known hazardous substances; nevertheless, research on their exposure and health concerns associated with kerosene fuel emissions is limited. In this study, PAH (combined gaseous and particle phase) monitoring was carried out in the kitchen and living room in selected households. Personal exposure and cooking time monitoring were also carried out, simultaneously. The study's findings revealed that BaP, BA, BbF, and Nap were the most prevalent PAHs in both the summer and winter seasons, regardless of urban or rural households. The estimated values of average incremental lifetime cancer risks were found to be greater than the USEPA level, i.e., 1 × 10-6, in both urban and rural households, regardless of seasonal fluctuation. In both seasons, the non-carcinogenic risk for developmental and reproductive effects was higher in rural women than in urban women, and in case of developmental risk it showed greater than unity (rural: 1.11 and urban 1.03) in the winter season. On the other hand, Monte Carlo simulation model revealed that concentrations of PAHs (97.1% and 97.5%) and exposure duration (51.7% and 56.7%) were the most sensitive factors contributed for health risk estimations for urban and rural area in both seasons, respectively. Furthermore, the results clearly showed that women who were using kerosene for cooking were at a greater risk of acquiring both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health consequences from PAH exposure from kerosene cookstoves. It was recommended that they should utilize clean fuel, either by using LPG under the PMUY scheme or by using electricity/solar power to reduce health risks for better health.

Hypertensive and toxicological health risk among women exposed to biomass smoke: A rural Indian scenario.

This study shows that exposure to air pollutants from indoor cooking fuel combustion may be associated with elevated Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Heart rate and Body mass index (BMI) in rural women of India. 60 premenopausal women (using solely agriculture residues, wood, dung, straw, leaf) and 30 women (solely using clean fuel, LPG) were recruited for this study. An ethically approved questionnaire was used in the study and health parameters were measured by standard instruments. Eight pollutants were measured by calibrated instruments, applied both in the living room as well as kitchens of test-subjects. The Test-subjects were divided into two groups, LPG users, and biomass users, and the toxicological risk was assessed by measurement of PM2.5 levels in the given indoor environments. The concentrations of all the pollutants were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in biomass users than in LPG using households, except in the case of O3 (p < 0.403) at the time of cooking. Results highlighted that DBP (p < 0.070), SBP (p < 0.143), Heart rate (p < 0.002) and BMI (p < 0.052) were varied in the two fuel user groups. In the case of biomass fuel user toxicological risk was higher (5.21) than LPG users (0.69). Moreover, Symptoms like asthma (25%), cough (76.67%), dizziness (36.67%), eye irritation (88.33%), and shortness of breath (43.33%) were highly prevalent among biomass users than in LPG users. The study highlighted that Biomass using women are more prone to cardiovascular disease and policies should be formulated for their sustainable health.

An assessment of the impact of traditional rice cooking practice and eating habits on arsenic and iron transfer into the food chain of smallholders of Indo-Gangetic plain of South-Asia: Using AMMI and Monte-Carlo simulation model.

The current study was designed to investigate the consequences of rice cooking and soaking of cooked rice (CR) with or without arsenic (As) contaminated water on As and Fe (iron) transfer to the human body along with associated health risk assessment using additive main-effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and Monte Carlo Simulation model. In comparison to raw rice, As content in cooked rice (CR) and soaked cooked rice (SCR) enhanced significantly (at p < 0.05 level), regardless of rice cultivars and locations (at p < 0.05 level) due to the use of As-rich water for cooking and soaking purposes. Whereas As content in CR and SCR was reduced significantly due to the use of As-free water for cooking and soaking purposes. The use of As-free water (AFW) also enhanced the Fe content in CR. The overnight soaking of rice invariably enhanced the Fe content despite the use of As-contaminated water in SCR however, comparatively in lesser amount than As-free rice. In the studied area, due to consumption of As-rich CR and SCR children are more vulnerable to health hazards than adults. Consumption of SCR (prepared with AFW) could be an effective method to minimize As transmission and Fe enrichment among consumers.

Biomass using tribal women exhibited respiratory symptoms, hypertensive risks and abnormal pulmonary function.

In rural areas of developing countries, solid fuels are still widely used for cooking, heating, and lighting purposes. This study investigates the effects of household air pollutants (HAPs) exposure on the occurrence of respiratory symptoms, blood pressure, and lung function. In this study, we randomly selected 123 (83 biomass and 40 clean fuel user) subjects to assess the impact of smoke generated from solid biomass fuel by assessing their health status along with the ventilation pattern of the kitchens and living rooms. HAPs (PM10, PM2.5, and CO) and different health parameters were measured along with monitoring of self-reported health symptoms for a consecutive period of eight months. Results revealed that the concentration of CO, PM2.5, and PM10 were found highest in biomass using households. Higher odds of the upper respiratory symptoms, runny nose (OR: 4.08, 95% CI: 1.22-22.14, p < 0.03), nasal congestion (OR: 9.07, 95% CI: 1.39-97.89, p < 0.01) and the odds of the lower respiratory symptoms like wheezing (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.23-10.94, p < 0.01), breathlessness (OR: 4.44, 95% CI: 1.3-14.75, p < 0.01), chest tightness (OR: 4.89, 95% CI: 1.23-22.14, p < 0.03) and dry cough (OR: 3.661, 95% CI: 1.05-12.25, p < 0.04) were significantly higher in biomass fuel user. Similarly higher systolic (+11.41 mmHg), higher diastolic pressure (+3.3 mmHg), higher pulse pressure (+8.11 mmHg), and a 6 mmHg higher mean arterial pressure among biomass fuel using tribal women. The risk of hypertension was significantly (p < 0.03) higher (OR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.18-7.89) among solid biomass fuel users. The lung abnormality was recorded 28.91% (OR: 5.02, 95% CI: 1.50 to 16.56, p < 0.01) among biomass fuel user. Finally, it is suggested that the use of efficient cookstoves, increase in cross ventilation, and cleaner fuel are urgently needed to curb the pollution load.

Hemolysin induces Toll-like receptor (TLR)-independent apoptosis and multiple TLR-associated parallel activation of macrophages.

Vibrio cholerae hemolysin (HlyA) displays bipartite property while supervising macrophages (MΦ). The pore-forming toxin causes profound apoptosis within 3 h of exposure and in parallel supports activation of the defying MΦ. HlyA-induced apoptosis of MΦ remains steady for 24 h, is Toll-like receptor (TLR)-independent, and is driven by caspase-9 and caspase-7, thus involving the mitochondrial or intrinsic pathway. Cell activation is carried forward by time dependent up-regulation of varying TLRs. The promiscuous TLR association of HlyA prompted investigation, which revealed the ß-prism lectin domain of HlyA simulated TLR4 up-regulation by jacalin, a plant lectin homologue besides expressing CD86 and type I cytokines TNF-α and IL-12. However, HlyA cytolytic protein domain up-regulated TLR2, which controlled CD40 for continuity of cell activation. Expression of TOLLIP before TLR2 and TLR6 abrogated TLR4, CD40, and CD86. We show that the transient expression of TOLLIP leading to curbing of activation-associated capabilities is a plausible feedback mechanism of MΦ to deploy TLR2 and prolong activation involving CD40 to encounter the HlyA cytolysin domain.

Assessment of household air pollution exposure of tribal women.

There is a growing evidence that the burning of unprocessed biomass fuels is associated with adverse health impacts. This study estimated the gaseous pollutants (CO, CO2, O3, SO2, and NO2) and particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) during the burning of biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuels and their impacts on the health of tribal women. The results revealed that the tribal women mainly used six types of unprocessed biomass fuels (dry leaves, cow dung cake, dry woods, twigs, rice straw, and agricultural residues) along with five types of traditional earthen stoves. The concentration of gaseous and PM was recorded as in the order of CO2 > SO2 > CO > O3 and total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) > PM10 > PM2.5, respectively. The pollutant concentration inside the kitchen room for biomass users was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than LPG users. The biomass using tribal women might be suffering from higher cardiovascular risk than LPG users. The lung function study results also indicated that the mean values of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC were lower among biomass users than LPG users. The correlation study shows that tribal women who were exposed to biomass smoke were in a more vulnerable position than those who used LPG. Moreover, the toxicological risk among tribal biomass users was observed high (3.52) compared to LPG users (0.39). On the other hand, the Monte Carlo probabilistic simulation model for uncertainty analysis revealed that the mean value of Hazard Quotient (HQ) for PM2.5 in kitchen room was observed as 4.31E-00 and 9.40E-01 for biomass and LPG users, respectively. Modelling study also revealed that exposure of duration and cooking time are extremely important for toxicological risk assessment. However, further long-term comprehensive studies are extremely important.