Abstract:
Abstract: In developing countries, household energy use is highly variable and complex, yet emissions arising from fuel
combustion indoors are typically poorly quantified. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are emitted during the combustion of organic fuels such as charcoal and biomass. In the present study, multichannel polydimethylsiloxane rubber traps
were used for gas‐phase PAH sampling and extracted using a low–solvent volume plunger‐assisted solvent extraction
method. Sixteen US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs, primarily in the gas phase, were investigated in indoor
air of rural and urban residential homes in coastal Kenya (Mombasa and Taita Taveta Counties) using typical combustion
devices of each area. Average gaseous PAH concentrations per household were higher in rural (ranging 0.81–6.09 µg m–3
)
compared to urban (ranging 0–2.59 µg m–3
) homes, although ambient PAH concentrations were higher in urban environments, likely attributable to traffic contributions. The impact of fuel choice and thereby combustion device on PAH emissions
was very clear, with the highest concentrations of PAHs quantified from wood‐burning emissions from 3‐stone stoves (total
PAH averages 46.23 ± 3.24 µg m–3 [n = 6]). Average benzo[a]pyrene equivalent total concentrations were evaluated for the
priority PAHs and ranged from not detected to 43.31, 88.38, 309.61, and 453.88 ng m–3 for gas, kerosene, jiko, 3‐stone, and
improved 3‐stone stoves, respectively. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:538–547. © 2019 SETAC
Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; Household air pollution; Combustion device; Clean energy; Plunger‐assisted
solvent extraction; Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry
