Improved cookstove as an appropriate technology for the Logone Valley

August 2, 2012 · 0 comments

Mentore Vaccari, Francesco Vitali, Angelo Mazzù,

Improved cookstove as an appropriate technology for the Logone Valley (Chad – Cameroon): Analysis of fuel and cost savings, Renewable Energy, Volume 47, November 2012, Pages 45-54, 10.1016/j.renene.2012.04.008.

Access to modern energy services is still low in developing countries and this lack of access affects in particular the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and sub-Saharan Africa. The large majority of population in the Logone Valley at the border between Chad and Cameroon still relies on wood fuel burnt in smoky and inefficient fireplaces for cooking. The promotion of wood saving stoves locally produced and appropriate for the traditional cooking practices has been implemented by an international cooperation project. Two stove models were compared to the traditional 3-stone fire and a gas stove by Water Boiling Tests and Controlled Cooking Tests.

The results showed significant fuel savings thanks to the use of the improved stoves. Data collected during the tests, crossed with information about the local cooking habits, allowed to estimate the impact, in term of money savings, on each household adopting an improved stove. The Centrafricain improved stove resulted being the most performing model occurring in a 25% reduction of the expenditure per family for cooking purposes in a short-medium term. This study witnesses that the use of improved wood stove is likely to be a sustainable way to achieve an appropriate minimum level of energy access for cooking purposes for the poor people in the LDCs, in particular in rural areas.

Saving Gambia’s forests through eco-friendly briquettes & cookstoves

August 1, 2012 · 0 comments

Cooking with biomass increases the risk of depression in pre-menopausal women

July 31, 2012 · 0 comments

Soc Sci Med. 2012 Aug;75(3):565-72.

Cooking with biomass increases the risk of depression in pre-menopausal women in India.

Banerjee M, Siddique S, Dutta A, Mukherjee B, Ranjan Ray M.

Department of Experimental Hematology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37 SP Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700 026, West Bengal, India.

Cooking with biomass fuel, a common practice in rural India, is associated with a high level of indoor air pollution (IAP). The aim of this study was to investigate whether IAP from biomass burning increases the risk of depression.
For this cross-sectional study, we enrolled a group of 952 women (median age 37 years) who cooked regularly with biomass and a control group of 804 age-matched women who cooked with cleaner fuel (liquefied petroleum gas).

Depression was assessed using the second edition of Beck’s depression inventory (BDI-II). Platelet P-selectin expression was assessed by flow cytometry and platelet serotonin was measured by ELISA. Particulate matter having diameter of less than 10 and 2.5 μm (PM(10) and PM(2.5), respectively) in indoor air was measured by real-time aerosol monitor. Carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaled breath was measured by CO monitor.

Compared with the control group, women who cooked with biomass had a higher prevalence of depression and depleted platelet serotonin, suggesting altered serotonergic activity in the brain. In addition, P-selectin expression on
platelet surface was up-regulated implying platelet hyperactivity and consequent risk of cardiovascular disease.

Biomass-using households had increased levels of PM(10) and PM(2.5), and biomass users had elevated levels of CO in expired air. Controlling potential confounders, cooking with biomass was found to be an independent and strong risk factor for depression. IAP from cooking with biomass is a risk for depression among rural women in their child-bearing age.

Research Opportunities for Cancer Associated with Indoor Air Pollution from Solid-Fuel Combustion

July 31, 2012 · 0 comments

Env Health Perspec, July 30, 2012

Commentary: Research Opportunities for Cancer Associated with Indoor Air Pollution from Solid-Fuel Combustion

Britt C. Reid, et al.

Background: Indoor air pollution (IAP) derived largely from use of solid-fuels for cooking and heating affects about 3 billion people worldwide, resulting in substantial adverse health outcomes, including cancer. Women and children from developing countries are the most exposed populations. A workshop was held in Arlington, VA, 9-11 May 2011, to better understand women and children’s potential health effects from IAP in developing countries. Workshop participants included international scientists, manufacturers, policy and regulatory officials, community leaders, and advocates who held extensive discussions to help identify future research needs.

Objectives: Our objective is to identify research opportunities regarding IAP and cancer, including research questions that could be incorporated into studies of interventions to reduce IAP exposure. Here we describe the state of the science in understanding IAP and associations with cancer, and suggest research opportunities to improve our understanding of the issues.

Discussion: Opportunities for research on IAP and cancer include studies of the effect of IAP on cancers other than lung cancer, studies of genetic factors that modify susceptibility; studies to determine whether effects of IAP are mediated via germline, somatic, and/or epigenetic changes; and studies of the effects of IAP exposure via dermal and/or oral routes.

Conclusions: IAP from indoor coal use increases the risk of lung cancer. Installing chimneys can reduce risk, and some genotypes, including GSTM1-null, can increase risk. Additional research is needed regarding effects of IAP on other cancers, effects of different types of solid fuels, oral and dermal routes of IAP exposure, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and genetic susceptibility.

WASHplus Weekly: Focus on Marketing Cookstoves

July 27, 2012 · 0 comments

Issue 64 July 27, 2012 | Focus on Marketing Cookstoves

This issue contains recent reports, blog posts and videos on marketing cookstoves. The challenge achieving widespread adoption of fuel-efficient stoves is that market conditions, preferences, and practices vary drastically across regions and even within relatively small geographic regions. Resources in this issue include a proposal on testing marketing models in Uganda, a series of cookstove market assessments and blog posts from Bangladesh, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Bangladesh: Pilot Intervention of Improved Cook Stoves in Rural Areas

July 27, 2012 · 0 comments

Bangladesh: Pilot Intervention of Improved Cook Stoves in Rural Areas: Assessment of Effects on Fuel Use, Smoke Emission and Health, 2012.

Nepal C Dey, et al. BRAC Research.

This study aims to explore the impact of improved cook stoves (ICS) on fuel expenditure (consumption), smoke emission, and health of women (cook) in rural households of Bangladesh. In the follow-up survey (January-March 2010), 1,569 households, constituting of both who received ICS immediately after baseline survey (July-September 2008) and who had refused to use any ICS, were selected for interview using a pre-tested structured questionnaire.

The most convincing evidence showed lower fuel expenditure (>60% respondents reported), cooking time (45%), or time spent in collecting fuel for ICS compared to traditional stove. The respondents reported that smoke emission reduced (86.4%) and soot production dropped (89%) due to using ICS. This indicates the importance and potentials of ICS in reducing indoor air pollution and hence less exposure and lower effect on health. We found that 63% of the respondents did not go anywhere for treatment on health problems mainly respiratory illness symptoms such as sore throat and coughs (>90% respondents reported), or eye irritation, difficulty in breathing, night sweats, headache (>75% respondents reported) within 30 days since the interview was done.

However, impediments still remained to see clear benefit of ICS by the users such as on technological aspects like design and maintenance of ICS, awareness rising (in terms of importance of ICS) and provision of interim monitoring whether ICS will work well or need supports. ICS intervention was successful in reducing fuel consumption expenditure, time spent in collecting fuel and cooking food, and reducing smoke emission and health hazards. Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to these impediments to further improve the existing situation.

Performance evaluation of improved solar cookers

July 27, 2012 · 0 comments

Karnataka J. Agric. Sci.,25 (2) : (287-288) 2012

Performance evaluation of improved solar cookers

S Desai, et al.

Preparing food with solar energy is a simple application of Solar thermal technology. Solar cooker works on the principle of solar energy absorption and need no fuel, emit no smoke, no soots spoil the cooking utensils as well as kitchen walls and keeps environment clean. Balasubramnian et al. (1990) conducted stagnation and water heating test using two types of solar cookers namely mirror boosted and double glazed box type solar cookers with same size vessels. (Anon., 1999) developed a light weight type solar cooker and compared its performance with the commercial solar cooker.

Fuelwood consumption patterns in Chumriey Mountain, Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia

July 27, 2012 · 0 comments

Energy, 18 July 2012

Fuelwood consumption patterns in Chumriey Mountain, Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia

Vibol Sana, et al.

The study was carried out to explore fuelwood consumption rate for different activities, such as cooking, boiling water, preparing animal feed and burning to protect cattle against insects; species preference; and to examine the characteristics of cook stoves. Approximately 96% of sampled households depend on fuelwood as a primary source for cooking, boiling water, preparing animal feed and protecting cattle against insects. Average fuelwood consumption for cooking and boiling water in very large families is significantly higher than that with very small families.

Overall average fuelwood consumption for cooking and boiling water per family per day is 5.21 ± 0.11 kg and 2.82 ± 0.11 kg. Households with a high number of cattle or pigs consume a higher amount of fuelwood for producing smoke to protect cattle against insects or preparing pig feed. The average fuelwood consumption rate is approximately 5.60 ± 0.11 kg day−1 family−1 for repelling insects to protect animals and 3.90 ± 0.19 kg day−1 family−1 for preparing pig feed. The most preferred species is Shorea obtusa followed by Dipterocarpus obtusifolius, Xylia xylocarpa, Cratoxylon prunifolium, and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus. Two models of improved cooking stoves (the New Lao Stove and the Korng Rey Stove) are the most frequently used stove type in the study area.

Bibliography of 2012 IAP studies by OP Kurmi

July 25, 2012 · 0 comments

Below are citations and annotation of 3 IAP studies authored or co-authored by OP Kurmi so far in 2012.

1. Eur Respir J. 2012 Jul;40(1):239-54.

Indoor air pollution and the lung in low- and medium-income countries.

Kurmi OP, Lam KB, Ayres JG.

Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Population and Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. E-mail: o.kurmi@bham.ac.uk.

Over half the world’s population, mostly from developing countries, use solid fuel for domestic purposes and are exposed to very high concentrations of harmful air pollutants with potential health effects such as respiratory problems, cardiovascular problems, infant mortality and ocular problems. The evidence also suggests that, although the total percentage of people using solid fuel is decreasing, the absolute number is currently increasing. Exposure to smoke from solid fuel burning increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer in adults, and acute lower respiratory tract infection/pneumonia in children. Despite the heterogeneity among studies, the association between COPD and exposure to smoke produced by burning different types of solid fuel is consistent. However, there is strong evidence that while coal burning is a risk factor for lung cancer, exposure to other biomass fuel smoke is less so. There is some evidence that reduction of smoke exposure using improved cooking stoves reduces the risk of COPD and, possibly, acute lower respiratory infection in children, so approaches to reduce biomass smoke exposure are likely to result in reductions in the global burden of respiratory disease.

2. Eur Respir J. 2012 May 31.

Lung cancer risk of solid fuel smoke exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kurmi OP, Arya PH, Lam KB, Sorahan T, Ayres JG.

Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Population and Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.

The aim of this systematic review was to quantify the impact of biomass fuel and coal use on lung cancer and to explore reasons for heterogeneity in the reported effect sizes.A systematic review of primary studies reporting the relationship between solid fuel use and lung cancer was carried out, based on pre-defined criteria. Studies that dealt with confounding factors were used in the meta-analysis. Fuel types, smoking, country, cancer cell type and gender were considered in sub-group analyses. Publication bias and heterogeneity were estimated.The pooled effect estimate for coal smoke as a lung carcinogen (OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.60, 2.06) was greater than that from biomass smoke (OR=1.50, 95% CI 1.17, 1.94). The risk of lung cancer for solid fuel use was greater in females (OR=1.81, 95% CI 1.54, 2.12) compared to males (OR=1.16, 95% CI 0.79, 1.69). The pooled effect estimates were 2.33 (95% CI 1.72, 3.17) for
adenocarcinoma, 3.58 (1.58, 8.12) for squamous cell carcinoma, and 1.57 (1.38, 1.80) for tumours of unspecified cell type.These findings suggest that in-home burning of both coal and biomass is consistently associated with an increased
risk of lung cancer.

3. Eur Respir J. 2012 May 3.

Reduced lung function due to biomass smoke exposure in young adults in rural Nepal.

Kurmi OP, Devereux GS, Smith WC, Semple S, Steiner MF, Simkhada P, Lam KB, Ayres JG.

University of Birmingham, UK.

This study aimed to assess the effects of biomass smoke exposure on lung function in a Nepalese population addressing some of these methodological issues from previous studies.We carried out a cross-sectional study of adults in a population exposed to biomass smoke and a non-exposed population in Nepal. Questionnaire and lung function data were acquired along with direct measures of indoor and outdoor air quality.Ventilatory function (FEV1, FVC, FEF25-75) was significantly reduced in the population using biomass across all age groups compared to the non-biomass using population, even in the youngest (16-25) age group [mean FEV1 (95% CI) 2.65 (2.57-2.73) vs. 2.83 (2.74-2.91), p=0.004]. Airflow obstruction was twice as common among biomass users compared to liquefied petroleum gas users (8.1% vs. 3.6%, p<0.001) with similar patterns for males (7.4% vs. 3.3%, p=0.022) and females (10.8% vs. 3.8%, p<0.001) based on lower limit of normal. Smoking was a major risk factor for airflow obstruction but biomass exposure added to the risk. Exposure to biomass smoke is associated with deficits in lung function, an effect which can be detected as early as late teenage years. Biomass smoke and cigarette smoke have additive adverse effects on airflow obstruction in this setting.

Kenya Market Assessment: Sector Mapping

July 19, 2012 · 0 comments

Kenya Market Assessment: Sector Mapping, 2012.

GVEP International

The availability of Improved Cookstoves is much higher than in the rest of East Africa, with production on a commercial basis. However, much stove production is done through informal artisans and there is a lack of quality standards.
• Many cookstove initiatives have taken place in the country but often lacked a commercial focus and have not been sustained.
• The market for stoves is primarily in urban and peri-urban areas and is growing as urbanisation gathers pace.
• Access to modern fuels, such as kerosene and LPG, is relatively high in urban areas. Initiatives to switch users to cleaner technologies such as LPG by reducing upfront costs and purchasing quantity are been tested in the market.
• The cookstove value chain is highly fragmented. Production of components is often done separately and many middlemen exist to transport and retail stoves countrywide.
• Most production is done by small and medium scale enterprises. They often lack working capital to purchase materials in bulk & ensure continuous production, as well as capital to expand their markets.
• In rural areas the market is much weaker though GIZ appear to have been able to develop a commercially sustainable model working with local artisans.
• CO2Balance offers an alternative model which appears to achieve high levels of penetration in the communities it targets, though stoves are often given away for free.
• A number of policy studies have been undertaken in recent years and a strong network of stakeholders exists.
• Carbon finance plays an important role in reducing the cost of quality stoves to the customer and is likely to continue as the main source of subsidy.

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