Influence of indoor volatile organic compounds and its relative respiratory effects among children living in rural biomass cooking households of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

Srinivasan Natarajan; Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay; Dhanasekaran Thangaswamy; Amudha Natarajan; Deep Chakraborty

doi:10.1007/s00420-023-01998-1

Influence of indoor volatile organic compounds and its relative respiratory effects among children living in rural biomass cooking households of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2023 Oct;96(8):1183-1201. doi: 10.1007/s00420-023-01998-1. Epub 2023 Jul 19.

Authors

Srinivasan Natarajan¹, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay², Dhanasekaran Thangaswamy³, Amudha Natarajan¹, Deep Chakraborty¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, 600 116, India.
² Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, 600 116, India. krishnendu@ehe.org.in.
³ Department of Pulmonology, Chest Medicine, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, 600 116, India.

PMID: 37466701
DOI: 10.1007/s00420-023-01998-1

Abstract

Purpose: Exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) cause respiratory symptoms among children, a known vulnerable group. Reports on exposures to VOCs and respiratory symptoms among South Indian children living in biomass-using households are not available thus far.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 313 rural children to assess the influence of emitted VOCs on their respiratory health. Standard analytical procedures for VOCs and Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), allied questionnaires, and all ethical considerations were fulfilled in the study.

Results: The increase in VOC concentrations was observed proportional to the amount of burnt biomass fuel in two selected sites in Tamil Nadu (TN) and Andhra Pradesh (AP). Houses cooked for more than 60 min showed a remarkable increase in VOC concentrations and was observed as statistically significant (p < 0.01) in AP households. Among the younger children, the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) values were found significantly higher than comparatively older children in both the sites, TN and AP. However, the trend with respect to FEV1 is statistically significant (p < 0.01) among AP children.

Conclusions: This study reports reduced lung function for a considerable proportion of the VOC-exposed selected children. Based on PFT, the children who were interpreted to be normal were found to be exposed to lesser indoor TVOC concentrations in comparison with the children of the households having restrictive or obstructive impairments. Diagnostic ratios with Benzene/Toluene (B/T) and Xylene/Ethyl benzene (X/E) confirmed the presence of VOCs-emissions from adjacent cooking fuels only. The observed results of this study recommends cleaner cooking fuel-use for better respiratory health among the citizens across the country, which in turn, in line with the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Government of India.

Keywords: Biomass, exposure; Children; Indoor; Pulmonary function test; Volatile organic compounds.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Air Pollution, Indoor* / adverse effects
Air Pollution, Indoor* / analysis
Benzene
Biomass
Child
Cooking
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
India / epidemiology
Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

Volatile Organic Compounds
Benzene