Kitchen Particulate Analysis, and Lung Function of Primary Cooks Using Wood or LPG Fuel in Tamil Nadu, India

Introduction: Exposure to biomass fuels, used for cooking worldwide, may be the largest risk factor for developing COPD. We sought to thoroughly characterize particulate matter (PM) and other aerosols primary cooks are exposed to in their kitchens using two fuel-types (liquified petroleum gas and wood biomass) in Thanjavur, India, as well as assess cooks’ lung function. Methods: We measured real-time and gravimetric daily PM≤ 2.5 µm (PM2. 5) concentrations using paired Particle and Temperature Sensor (PATS+) and flow-calibrated Ultrasonic Personal Aerosol Sampler (UPAS) devices in 34 primary cooks’ kitchens in March 2019. Filter light absorbance (Fabs) was assessed using a photo-optical method. We vacuumed settled (7 days) particles (≤ 40 µm) from a rug deployed in the cooking area into a filter (DUSTREAM®), and quantified colony forming units (CFU) of the particles, as well as metal content …