Training Workshop on Household Air Pollution and Monitoring Paro, Bhutan Household Air Pollution Studies from Bhutan Tenzin Wangchuk Department of Environmental Science Sherubtse College Royal University of Bhutan

“Basic Needs” We need food & water regularly, but we need air continuously My breathing rate: 15 breaths/per minute while preparing this presentation; 15 sec without breathing

Classification of particle sizes PM 10 and PM 2.5 Mass concentration of particles with diameter < 10  m and < 2.5  m, respectively Ultrafine particles < 0.1  m coarse particles fine particles number concentration

Coarse & Fine Particles

World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines PollutantsOutdoor meanIndoor mean PM 10 PM µg/m 3 : 24 hour 20 µg/m 3 : annual 25 µg/m 3 : 24 hour 10 µg/m 3 : annual Source: WHO (2006) 50 µg/m 3 : 24 hour 20 µg/m 3 : annual 25 µg/m 3 : 24 hour 10 µg/m 3 : annual Source: WHO (2010) Ultrafine Particles ???

Wangchuk et al., Seasonal variations of outdoor air pollution and factors driving them in the school environment in rural Bhutan. Atmospheric Environment 113, Bhutan: Rural school outdoor

Sherubtse College Campus PM 10 : NEC, 2011 data

Bhutan: East-West Highway Wangchuk et al., Mobile assessment of on-road air pollution and its sources along the East–West Highway in Bhutan. Atmospheric Environment 118,

Household Air Pollution (HAP) air pollution from household fuel combustion cooking, heating and lighting contribute to outdoor air pollution 13

Experimental campaign Four village houses during cooking & heating 3 stage measurements: before, during & after the activity 15 HouseStoveActivity investigated Location of the measurement setup Ventilation status H1 Metal chimney stove HeatingLiving roomWindows and door closed H2 Traditional mud stove Rice cookingKitchenWindows and door opened H3 Stone tripod stove Fodder preparation KitchenWindows and door opened H4 Traditional mud stove Liquor distillation KitchenWindows closed, door opened Bhutan: Cooking & Heating

Wangchuk et al., A pilot study of traditional indoor biomass cooking and heating in rural Bhutan: gas and particle concentrations and emission rates. Accepted for publication in Indoor Air. doi: /ina.12291

PN during liquor distillation

Bhutan: Children’s Personal Exposure Wangchuk, et al., Children's personal exposure to air pollution in rural villages in Bhutan. Environmental Research 140, children attending three primary schools PM 2.5 and CO monitors in Gambia Dionisio et al., 2012

Smith, K. R., Fuel combustion, air pollution exposure, and health: The situation in developing countries. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment 18, product of pollutant concentration and duration of contact with the pollutant numerical value describing the amount of individual pollutant per unit volume of air

Bhutan: children’s personal exposure Daily mean concentration for all children: 1.91 × 10 4 ± 3.15 × 10 3 particles/cm 3 Background concentration in clean environment: 2.61 × 10 3 particles/cm 3 (Morawska et al., 2008)

Bhutan: children’s personal exposure 9% of the daily time 64% of the total daily exposure Comparable to typical concentrations in tunnel environments

Bhutan: children’s personal exposure

Comparative personal exposure assessment of school children to particle number concentrations in Australia, Italy and Bhutan

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