emissions and health impacts of biomass combustion penn...

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Penn State Bioenergy Short Course Series

Emissions and Health Impacts of Biomass CombustionPenn State University

May 20, 2010

Woodsmoke: Exposure Assessment and Health Effects

Luke P. Naeher, Ph.D.Department of Environmental Health ScienceCollege of Public HealthUniversity of [email protected]

Outline

US Clean Air Act Criteria PollutantsHistoric episodes of air pollutionPM2.5 and CO

WoodsmokeExposures and compositionRelated health effects

Examples of woodsmoke-related researchUS forest firefightersDeveloping world cookstoves

History of Air Pollution Episodes

Meuse Valley, Belgium Meuse Valley, Belgium –– 19301930Donora, Pennsylvania Donora, Pennsylvania –– 19481948London, England London, England –– 19521952

These episodes provided the impetus for These episodes provided the impetus for regulations to reduce emissions, and regulations to reduce emissions, and associated air quality improvements.associated air quality improvements.

Historic Air Pollution EpisodesHistoric Air Pollution Episodes

In each case: In each case: a persistent (3 to 6 days) thermal inversiona persistent (3 to 6 days) thermal inversioncombined with significant industrial and, combined with significant industrial and, in the case of London, domestic pollutant in the case of London, domestic pollutant emissions emissions resulted in high groundresulted in high ground--level concentrations that level concentrations that caused acute illness and, in some cases, death in caused acute illness and, in some cases, death in the exposed populations.the exposed populations.

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Historic Air Pollution EpisodesHistoric Air Pollution Episodes

Meuse Valley, Belgium, December 1Meuse Valley, Belgium, December 1--5, 19305, 1930

Meuse Valley on a Clear DayMeuse Valley on a Clear Day

••Narrow river valleyNarrow river valley

••Temperature inversion to 90 mTemperature inversion to 90 m

••Elderly and those with heart and Elderly and those with heart and lung disease most affectedlung disease most affected

••63 deaths on Dec. 463 deaths on Dec. 4--55

••Specific pollutants were not Specific pollutants were not identifiedidentified

Historic Air Pollution EpisodesHistoric Air Pollution EpisodesDonora, Pennsylvania, October 25Donora, Pennsylvania, October 25--31, 194831, 1948

•• Temperature inversionTemperature inversion

•• Narrow river valleyNarrow river valley

•• 20 deaths on Oct. 3020 deaths on Oct. 30

•• Specific pollutants wereSpecific pollutants werenot identifiednot identified Donora, 1948Donora, 1948

October 29th, 12:00 noonOctober 29th, 12:00 noon

Historic Air Pollution EpisodesHistoric Air Pollution EpisodesLondon, England, December 5London, England, December 5--9, 19529, 1952

•• Temperature Inversion to 90mTemperature Inversion to 90m

•• Approximately 4,000 deathsApproximately 4,000 deaths

•• Pollutants measured at 12 locationsPollutants measured at 12 locations

•• Ambient particulates measured toAmbient particulates measured tobe 5 times higher than normalbe 5 times higher than normal

Police officer escorting a busPolice officer escorting a busthrough through ““smogsmog”” at 10:30 amat 10:30 am..

London, 1952London, 1952

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Average Weekly Number of Deaths, London England, Average Weekly Number of Deaths, London England, NovemberNovember--December, 1951 and 1952December, 1951 and 1952

0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000

12/6-12/13 12/14-12/21 12/22-12/290

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0500

100015002000250030003500400045005000

12/6-12/13 12/14-12/21 12/22-12/290

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4SOSO22, PPM, PPM SOSO22, PPM, PPMDeathsDeaths DeathsDeaths

1952195219511951

SOSO22SOSO22

Clean Air ActCriteria Air Pollutants

Particulate MatterCarbon MonoxideSulfur DioxideOzoneNitrogen OxidesLead

Hazardous Air Pollutants

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)MetalsAldehydesSemivolatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs)Diesel Exhaust

188 total

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Particulate Matter

Associated with increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for people with heart and lung disease.

aggravates asthma increases in respiratory symptoms like coughing and difficult orpainful breathing chronic bronchitis decreased lung function premature death

Settles on soil and water and harms the environment by changing the nutrient and chemical balance. Causes erosion and staining of structures

Why Particulates Matter?Why Particulates Matter?% change per% change per

10 ug/m10 ug/m33 increase in PM10increase in PM10Increase in Daily MortalityIncrease in Daily MortalityTotal deaths 1.0 %Respiratory Deaths 3.4 %Cardiovascular deaths 1.4 %

Increases in Respiratory Symptom ReportsIncreases in Respiratory Symptom ReportsLower respiratory 3.0 %Upper respiratory 0.7 %Cough 1.2 %

Source: (Dockery and Pope, 1994)Source: (Dockery and Pope, 1994)

Particulate Matter

Direct Formation Indirect Formation

Carbon Monoxide

Is poisonous even to healthy people at high levels in the air. Can affect people with heart disease. Can affect the central nervous system.

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Woodsmoke-Exposures and composition-Related health effects

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/1702574218_076410df2a.jpg

http://www.stormcenter.com/media/envirocast/archive/071023/image4.jpg

Woodsmoke exposures and health effects : community exposures

Photo credit: http://www.sandiego.gov/newsflash

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/1702574218_076410df2a.jpg

Individuals overlooking Tujunga, CA during the Station Fire, Southern California, Aug 26 to October 19, 2009Courtesy LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-0826-morris-fire-pictures

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http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2008/04-02/esperanza28gvo_400.jpg

Woodsmoke exposures and health effects: firefighter exposures

A fire-fighter at work during the Station Fire, Southern CaliforniaCourtesy LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-0826-morris-fire-pictures

Satellite image of the Station Fire, Southern California)Courtesy LA Times:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-0826-morris-fire-pictures

Dispersal of smoke and smog from the 1997 Southeast forest fires of IndonesiaCourtesy NASA: http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=1651

Woodsmoke exposures and health effects : developing World

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Woodsmoke exposures and health effects:developed world

Woodsmoke

Components of woodsmoke similar to cigarette smoke1:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsBenzenesAldehydesRespirable particulate matterCarbon monoxideetc…

1. Naeher, L. P., Brauer, M., Lipsett, M., Zelikoff, J. T., Simpson, C. D., Koenig, J. Q., and Smith, K. R. "Woodsmoke health effects: a review," Inhal Toxicol 19 (2007

Sensitive subpopulationsWomen and children in developing nations

Spend more time at home/in kitchen1

ChildrenElderlyImmunocompromised

1. Smith, K. R. "Deadly Household Pollution: A Call to Action," Indoor Air 16 (2006): 2.

2. Rehfuess, E., Mehta, S., and Prüss-Üstün, A. "Assessing Household Solid Fuel Use: Multiple Implications for the Millennium Development Goals," Environmental Health Perspectives114 (2006): 373-378.

Health Effects of Woodsmoke Exposure

The following have been associated to woodsmoke exposure with varying degrees of certainty:

Increases in emergency room and physician visits due to respiratory diseases during wildfire eventsOxidative stress, pulmonary and systemic inflammationLung function declinesAcute respiratory infectionsCataractsAsthma exacerbationChronic obstructive pulmonary disease Low birth weight Nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers Tuberculosis

PM2.5 and CO often used as indicators of overall woodsmokeexposure

Naeher et al., 2007, Zelikoff et al., 2002, Ezzati et al., 2005

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Introduction

More than half the world’s population - 3.2 billion people – still relies on coal and biomass fuels such as wood, dung and crop residues to meet their basic cooking and energy needs1

90% of people residing in rural areas of developing countries2

Indoor air pollution from solid fuel use is among the world’s top ten causes of mortality and morbidity3

~2.5 million deaths each year in developing countries, representing 4-5% of the total global deaths that occur annually4

1. Rehfuess, E., et al. "Assessing Household Solid Fuel Use: Multiple Implications for the Millennium Development Goals," Environmental Health Perspectives 114 (2006)2. Bruce, N., et al. "Indoor air pollution in developing countries: a major environmental and public health challenge," Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 78 (2000)3. Rehfuess, E., et al. "Indoor air pollution: 4000 deaths a day must no longer be ignored," Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 84 (2006) 4. Bruce, N., et al. "Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution Exposure in Developing Countries," WHO, 2002

PM2.5

Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers

Penetrate deep into the lungs and may reach the alveolar region, potentially interfering with gas

exchange

Overall

The effects of exposure to indoor woodsmoke are many and variedPM2.5 and CO operate as a representation of overall exposure, as well as being independently damaging to human health

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Examples of woodsmoke-related

researchUS forest fire fighters

Developing world cookstoves

Methods: Study Site Savannah River Site, South Carolina

-198,000 acre National Environmental Research Park in S Carolina-15,000 to 18,000 acres burned annually

© Copyright 2002 The Tennesseanhttp://earthfromspace.photoglobe.info/img/map_savannah_river.jpg

PM2.5SKC pump at 4 L/min and teflon filter with BGI triplex cyclone

CO Draeger CO chemical sensor with datalogger

Self-administered QuestionnairePersonal estimation of woodsmoke exposure, burn size, symptoms etc.

Self-administered Time-Activity DiaryType of task by time and duration

240 person-day samples collected during winters 2003-05

203 during burn activities 37 during non-burn activities (36 on non-burn days)

Methods: Exposure Assessment

Work-shift PM2.5 exposureAverage on burn days (n = 180) – 316 µg/m3

(95% CL = 198, 515 µg/m3)Range – 5.9 to 2673 µg/m3

Average on non burn days (n = 35) – 16 µg/m3

(95% CL = 10, 25 µg/m3)

Results: PM2.5 exposure

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Results: CO exposure (n=149)

Work-shiftMean – 1.65 ppmRange – 0 to 14 ppm

Fire-lineMean – 3.09 ppmRange – 0 to 18 ppm

1-sec Peak Exposure470 ppmMean – 70 ppm

Real Time CO Concentrations

Time of Day (hh:mm:ss) 06:00:00 10:00:00 14:00:00 18:00:00

CO

Con

cent

ratio

n (p

pm)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350In Office--Fire Prep At Fire Line

Shift Average Conc. = 9.6 ppmMax Concentration = 305 ppmShift Length = 14.1 hrCOHb @ end of shift = 2.7%

Real Time CO Concentrations

Time of Day (hh:mm:ss) 06:00:00 10:00:00 14:00:00 18:00:00

CO

Con

cent

ratio

n (p

pm)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

At Fire LineIn Office-Fire Prep

Shift Average Conc. = 2.0 ppmMax Concentration = 87 ppmShift Length = 12.2 hrCOHb @ end of shift = 0.6%

Geometric Mean Estimates of PM2.5 at Self-Estimated Exposure Levels

n=16

n=49

n=86

n=22

n=350

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

0 1 2 3 4

Estimated Exposure

PM2.

5 C

once

ntra

tion

(ug/

m3)

with

95%

CL

0= non burn days1 = none to very little2 = low3 = moderate4 = high to very high

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0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

CO (ppm)

PM2.

5(u

g/m

3)

Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.81 119 CO/PM2.5 pairsp < 0.01

Association between PM2.5 and CO

Results in Context

Indication that exposure exceeds American Council of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for respirable particles – 3 mg/m3

Older studies observed exposures exceeding Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) – 5 mg/m3

Low CO exposureOSHA PEL (50 ppm) and ACGIH TLV (25 ppm) not exceeded1-sec peak exposure exceeded 200 ppm, ceiling limit, in 6 of 149 samples

Use of CO/PM2.5 correlation

Use of firefighter qualitative estimation

On-going Work – 2008-09

ExposurePM2.5

COLevoglucosan

Biomarker of ExposureOH-PAH

Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress8-OHdGMDA

Conclusion

Important exposure globallyPossible elevated occupational exposure among wildland firefightersExposure not adequately characterized

Also, limited health effect studies Results from such studies are essential for setting occupational exposure limits –USFS

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Testing the effectiveness of two cookstove intervention projects in the Santiago de Chuco Province of Peru

Introduction

An estimated 40% of the world’s population - 3.2 billion people – still relies on coal and biomass fuels such as wood, dung and crop residues to meet their basic cooking and energy needs1

90% of people residing in rural areas of developing countries2

Indoor air pollution from solid fuel use is among the world’s top ten causes of mortality and morbidity3

~2.5 million deaths each year in developing countries, representing 4-5% of the total global deaths that occur annually4

1. Rehfuess, E., et al. "Assessing Household Solid Fuel Use: Multiple Implications for the Millennium Development Goals," Environmental Health Perspectives 114 (2006)2. Bruce, N., et al. "Indoor air pollution in developing countries: a major environmental and public health challenge," Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 78 (2000)3. Rehfuess, E., et al. "Indoor air pollution: 4000 deaths a day must no longer be ignored," Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 84 (2006) 4. Bruce, N., et al. "Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution Exposure in Developing Countries," WHO, 2002

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Improved stoves

Most cost-effective solution1

When adequately designed, installed and maintained, effectively reduce indoor air pollution by means of2:

Better combustion Improvements in ventilation (e.g. through construction of a chimney) Lower emission levelsPotentially shorter cooking times

1. Mehta, S., et al. "The health benefits of interventions to reduce indoor air pollution from solid fuel use: a cost-effectiveness analysis," Energy for Sustainable Development VIII (2004)

2. WHO. "Interventions to reduce indoor air pollution," Indoor Air Pollution, 2009

Relevant Research

Potential benefits from the introduction of improved stoves include1,2,3,4

Less smokeLess wood useReduced coughLower blood pressureLess eye irritationFewer headachesLess lower-back pain

1. Masera, O., et al. 2007. “Impact of Patsari improved cookstoves on indoor air quality in Michoacan, Mexico”, Energy for Sustainable Development, XI(2) pp. 45-56 2. Smith-Sivertsen, T. et al. (2004). “Eye Discomfort, Headache And Back Pain Among Women In Guatemala Using Open Fires For Cooking And Heating.” Epidemiology 15(4).3. McCracken J, et al. Chimney stove intervention to reduce long-term woodsmoke exposure lowers blood pressure among Guatemalan women. Environ Health Perspect. 2007; 155:996-1001.4. Bailis, R., et al. 2007. “Performance testing for monitoring improved biomass stove interventions: experiences of the Household Energy and Health Project”, Energy for Sustainable Development, XI(2)

Study Objectives

Using PM2.5 and CO as air quality indicators, determine the efficiency of two improved stove models at reducing in-home exposures to harmful pollutantsMeasure biomarkers of health both before and after stove replacement to examine health benefitsAdd to the overall discussion in the literature about the effectiveness of such improved stove projects

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Methods

Chaguin/Cachulla Baja

Huayatan

Inside the homes Stove 1

Distributed in HuayatanProvided by Juntos National ProgramMaterials given to women to construct stoves themselves

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Stove 2

Distributed in Chaguin/Cachulla BajaProvided by BarrickOne man hired to build all stoves for the women

Study design – exposure assessment

64 Homes32 in Huayatan (stove 1)

All field and lab work done by our team

32 in Chaguin/Cachulla Baja (stove 2)Field work done by a separate team

Pre- and post-intervention samplingPersonal, kitchen, and fixed site

48 hoursPM2.5 (real-time and gravimetric) and CO (real-time)

Study design – health indicators

Pre- and post-intervention samplingAt the end of each 48-hour sampling period, measurements taken of:

Exhaled COExhaled NO (stove 1 only)Total Hb%COHbPb concentration

Adam

Pre-study preparations

Dry run

Town hall meeting

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An average 2-day sample

Specific days and times were given to each womanA maximum of 16 women could be sampled per week

All equipment prepped the night beforeEarly in the morning, field study trucks leave SantiagoArrive at woman’s home:

Set up stationary sampling site in kitchenSuit her up in personal sampling vestShe fills out questionnaire and receives time activity diary

48-hours later, equipment is gathered, health indicators are measured and urine is collected

Kitchen PM2.5DUSTTRAK™ Aerosol Monitor (realtime)SKC AirChek® 2000 Pump with Cyclone (gravimetric)

Personal PM2.5SKC AirChek® XR5000 Pump with Cyclone

CODrӓger Pac III

Air Sampling

Biomarker Sampling

Exhaled CO and %COHbBedfont Scientific Pico+Measures effects of smoke exposure

Exhaled NOAerocrine Inc. NIOX MinoPulmonary inflammation, immune system function

Total HemoglobinNIR Diagnostics HemoNIR co-oximeterOxygen transport efficiency

Blood LeadPossibly released in woodsmokeDevelopmental effects

Results

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Before After

Stove 1(home 30)

BeforeAfter

Stove 2

4848

Results

After three weeks of using the new stoves, reductions in indoor air pollution were seen across the board in all study communities, with:

Larger reduction in Kitchen vs. PersonalConsistent with other studies

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Real-time

The real-time data allows for a closer look at what is happening in each individual homeThe patterns of pollution are consistent (generally lining up with mealtimes)

Kitchen Exposure to PM2.5

05

101520253035404550

4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM

Time

mg/

m3

Pre-Intervention

Personal Exposure to CO

0102030405060708090

100


ppm

Kitchen Exposure to CO

0102030405060708090

100


pp

m


05

101520253035404550


Time

mg/

m3

Pre-Intervention


0102030405060708090

100


ppm


0102030405060708090

100


pp

m

Home 14 – Stove 1


0102030405060708090

100

9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PMTime

mg/

m3

Post-Intervention


0102030405060708090

100

9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM

ppm


0102030405060708090

100


ppm


0102030405060708090

100

9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PMTime

mg/

m3

Post-Intervention


0102030405060708090

100


ppm


0102030405060708090

100


ppm

Home 14 – Stove 1


0102030405060708090

100

4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PMTime

mg/

m3

Pre-Intervention Post-Intervention


0

10

2 0

3 0

4 0

50

6 0

70

8 0

9 0

10 0

4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM

ppm


0102030405060708090

100


ppm


0102030405060708090

100

4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PM 12:00 AM 4:48 AM 9:36 AM 2:24 PM 7:12 PMTime

mg/

m3

Pre-Intervention Post-Intervention


0

10

2 0

3 0

4 0

50

6 0

70

8 0

9 0

10 0


ppm


0102030405060708090

100


ppm

Home 14 – Stove 1

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Personal Exposure to CO - Home 33

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


Time

CO

(pp

m)

Pre

Personal Exposure to CO - Home 33

0

20

40

60

80

100

120


Time

CO

(pp

m)

Post

Real-time Personal Exposure to CO Before and After the Installation of Stove Model 1 – Home 33 Subject Changes in ExCO, Stove 1

n=30

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Pre Post

Exha

led

CO

(ppm

)

Exhaled NO vs Personal Exposure PM2.5

R = -0.340

1

2

3

4

5

2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5

Log Personal Exposure PM2.5

Log

Exha

led

NO

Pre (n=17)Post (n=23)

Exhaled NO vs Personal Exposure CO

R = -0.240

1

2

3

4

5

-5 -3 -1 1

Log Personal Exposure CO

Log

Exha

led

NO

Pre (n=16)Post (n=25)

Mount Auburn HospitalWilliam S Beckett

UGAAdam GrayFemi AdetonaAdwoa AgyepongGideon St. HelenAnna Hejl

UW SeattleChris Simpson

UC IrvineRufus EdwardsMichael Johnson

USFSSRS Firefighter crewJohn BlakeStephen LenzoDan SheaMark FrizzellPaul LinseJeff PreveyDave WilsonEd Olsen

Acknowledgments and collaborators

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to:The Barrick Gold CorporationIng. Jose Murgia Zanier, and the Gobierno Regional de La LibertadThe local government of Santiago de ChucoThe Research Team, for being awesome

Manuel Aguilar Villalobos: Team

Leader

Tonia Villalobos: Field Assistant

Adam Eppler: Researcher and

Translator

Jessica Fitzgerald: Field Technician

Stephen Dorner: Translator and Field

Technician

Luke P. Naeher: Principle Investigator

Kevin Horton: Researcher

Adam Gray: Lead Research

Technician

Daniel Pope: Field Technician

Elizabeth Irvin: Field Technician

Thank youQuestions?

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