WHO Releases Report For Determining Indoor Air Quality And Lowering Pollution at Homes
WHO Releases Report For Determining Indoor Air Quality And Lowering Pollution at Homes
WHO has recommended that there should be greater reliance on clean energy sources for indoor use. The UN body highlighted the problems of burning fossil fuels such as unprocessed coal and kerosene in the home. it also allocated targets for reducing the emission of pollutants from space heaters, domestic cookstoves and fuel based lamps.
The latest “WHO Guidelines For Indoor Air Quality:Household Fuel Combustion” emphasise the need for improvement of access to cleaner home energy sources such as LPG or liquified petroleum gas as well as biogas, natural gas and ethanol, specially for lower and middle income countries. These guidelines follow earlier WHO investigations which showed that more than 7 million deaths which is roughly one of 8 total deaths in the world are either due to indoor or outdoor pollution. As per the estimates, around 4.3 million people each year die to to exposure to household air pollution caused by biomass and coal cookstove emissions. “Ensuring cleaner air in and around the home is fundamental to reducing the burden of disease from air pollution, especially in low- and middle-income countries,” Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health remarked. “The new WHO guidelines aim to help countries introduce cleaner technologies, improve air quality in poor households, reduce pollution-related diseases and save lives,” she also added.
Currently, about 3 billion people in the world lack access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, lighting and heating purposes. Millions of people each year die due to worsening indoor air pollution. Diseases such as lung cancer, childhood pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well as stroke are caused due to existence of high levels of fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide which are released due to burning of solid waste such as wood, animal refuse, coal, crop waste and charcoal in lamps, inefficient stoves and space heaters.
WHO has provided guidelines for different kinds of emissions from domestic appliances for CO and fine particulate matter both. The UN organisation also carefully examined the levels by which the emissions would have tor educe to meet the guidelines for air quality by the WHO. “If the new emission targets are met, then some 90% of homes globally will meet WHO’s air quality standards,” remarked Dr Neira.
The new WHO guidelines recommend the cessation in the use of unprocessed coal as a household fuel. Coal has toxic elements such a mercury, lead and arsenic in it. Incomplete combustion of inefficient stoves and space heaters is responsible for causing diseases and death. Kerosene also plays an important role in impacting air quality and safety. Kerosene is associated with burns as well as fires and poisoning.
Homes with open burning and invented coal or biomass stoves get emissions of particulate matter and other pollutants can be as high as 100 times the recommended levels. These carcinogenic pollutants can cause heart and lung disease and systematic inflammation as well as strokes. Women and children are particularly vulnerable. “Women and young children, who spend the most time near the domestic hearth, are particularly vulnerable,” Dr Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director General, Family, Women’s and Children’s Health cluster has said, “Globally, more than 50% of pneumonia deaths among children under 5 are linked to household air pollution.”
Dr. Carlos Dora, WHO Coordinator for Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health has said “We need to scale up the use of clean fuels such as biogas, ethanol, or natural or liquefied petroleum gas with appropriate venting, as well as solar electricity solutions for lighting,” he adds “And clean technologies and fuels should be priced within reach of the lowest-income households.” Dr Carlos has also said “A great deal of work is going into improving the types of biomass cookstoves commonly used in developing countries for preparing meals, but only those that achieve these household fuel combustion emission targets can ensure lower health risks from household air pollution for women and children.”
