Abstract:
Abstract Traditional combustion devices and fuels
such as charcoal, wood and biomass, are widely utilised in rural and urban households in Africa. Incomplete combustion can generate air pollutants which
are of human toxicological importance, including
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this
study, portable multi-channel polydimethylsiloxane
rubber traps were used to sample gas phase emissions from cooking devices used in urban and rural
households in Bomet and Narok counties of Kenya. A
wide range of total PAH concentrations was found in
samples collected (0.82 – 173.69 µg/m3
), which could
be attributed to the diferences in fuel type, combustion device, climate, and nature of households. Wood
combustion using the 3-stone device had the highest
average total PAH concentration of ~71 µg/m3
. Narok had higher indoor total gas phase PAH concentrations
averaging 35.88 µg/m3
in urban and 70.84 µg/m3
in
rural households, compared to Bomet county (2.91
µg/m3
in urban and 9.09 µg/m3
in rural households).
Ambient total gas phase PAH concentrations were
more similar (Narok: 1.26 – 6.28 µg/m3
and Bomet:
2.44 – 6.30 µg/m3
). Although the 3-stone device and
burning of wood accounted for higher PAH emissions, the charcoal burning jiko stove produced the
highest toxic equivalence quotient. Monitoring of
PAHs emitted by these cooking devices and fuels
is critical to public health and sustainable pollution
mitigation.
Keywords Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ·
Combustion device · Household combustion ·
Domestic air quality
