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Indoor pollution is more lethal: study

While massive drives are organised for combating pollution, there seems to be a lack of awareness about the enemy within that lurks in the home and hearth.

This type of pollution, mainly due to the bio-fuels used for cooking especially among the poorer sections, is deadlier than the smog outdoors.

A recent study in New Delhi has revealed that for every death attributed to outdoor pollution, two fall victim indoors, with women and infants being the worst affected.

The study, undertaken by the Tata Energy Research Institute, found that the women in slum colonies use traditional chulhas with bio-fuels like dung cake, wood and charcoal being unable to afford eco-friendly fuels like kerosene and LPG.

TERI says that approximately two million pre-mature deaths occur annually due to particulate matter. The per capita incidence rate of premature deaths is highest for the female slum-dwellers.

Particulate matter concentrations in kitchens due to the use of bio-fuels are known to be as high as 30 times the World Health Organisation standard, while the concentrations at outdoor workplace may be only 12 times.

Biomass fuels emit 23 tonnes of particulate matter per year. So kitchens with little ventilations are unable to discharge the pollutants into the open air. This makes the women more vulnerable to the evil effects.

Sumit Saxena, fellow, TERI, says ''There have been instances where women were also seen using tyres as fuels. This is highly hazardous, for tyres emit tremendous amounts of carbon monoxide. Moreover, the type of fuels they normally use are highly carcinogenic''.

Slumdwellers, due to space constraints, are forced to use the same room for sleeping and cooking. Consequently the entire family runs the risk of exposure to toxic fumes.

Infants were also found to have very high exposures because they often sit close to their mothers during cooking.

The incidence is also alarmingly high for infants. A staggering 9.1 per cent of every 1,000 infants die prematurely due to pollution.

While 2.4 million premature deaths take place, 143 million children suffer respiratory infections. Another 484 million die of asthma attacks. About 13 million of the slum-dwelling population have chronic bronchitis.

Among the preventive steps, Saxena suggests that ''special attention should be given to design the kitchen in a way which ensures due cross ventilation. Secondly, authorities should conduct awareness generation programmes for the mothers (especially in the slums) and enlighten them on the ill-effects of kitchen smoke. Finally, government programmes on chulhas and bio-gas has to be implemented''.

UNI

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