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Indoor exposure to respirable particulate matter and particulate-phase PAHs in rural homes in North India

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Abstract

In order to evaluate the exposure of the northern India rural population to polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) inhalation, indoor pollution was assessed by collecting and analyzing the respirable particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 in several homes of the village Bhithauli near Lucknow, UP. The home selection was determined by a survey. Given the nature of biomass used for cooking, homes were divided into two groups, one using all kinds of biomass and the second type using plant materials only. Indoor mean concentrations of PM2.5 and associated PAHs during cooking ranged from 1.19 ± 0.29 to 2.38 ± 0.35 and 6.21 ± 1.54 to 12.43 ± 1.15 μg/m3, respectively. Similarly, PM10 and total PAHs were in the range of 3.95 ± 1.21 to 8.81 ± 0.78 and 7.75 ± 1.42 to 15.77 ± 1.05 μg/m3, respectively. The pollutant levels during cooking were significantly higher compared to the noncooking period. The study confirmed that indoor pollution depends on the kind of biomass fuel used for cooking.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fiber Toxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Post Box No. 80, Lucknow, 226 001, India

    Furquan Ahmad Ansari, Huma Siddiqui, Mohammad Ashquin & Iqbal Ahmad

  2. Environmental Monitoring Section, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Post Box No. 80, Lucknow, 226 001, India

    Altaf Husain Khan & Shachi Sharma

  3. Analytical Chemistry Section, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Post Box No. 80, Lucknow, 226 001, India

    Devendra Kumar Patel

Authors
  1. Furquan Ahmad Ansari
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  2. Altaf Husain Khan
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  3. Devendra Kumar Patel
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  4. Huma Siddiqui
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  5. Shachi Sharma
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  6. Mohammad Ashquin
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  7. Iqbal Ahmad
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Correspondence to Iqbal Ahmad.

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Ansari, F.A., Khan, A.H., Patel, D.K. et al. Indoor exposure to respirable particulate matter and particulate-phase PAHs in rural homes in North India. Environ Monit Assess 170, 491–497 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1249-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1249-2

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