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An Evaluation of Storage Stability and Composition of Cookstove Filters
Citation:
Mutlu, E., S. Waidyanatha, B. Stiffler, T. Christy, J. Richey, B. Burback, N. Niemuth, L. Lin, J. Jetter, R. Chartier, AND C. Rider. An Evaluation of Storage Stability and Composition of Cookstove Filters. Presented at PIC2019, Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 10 - 12, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
Background: Household air pollution from solid-fuel stoves is the most significant environmental problem that affects human health worldwide. WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that 3-4 million premature deaths annually are caused by household air pollution, mainly from emissions from cookstoves in the developing world. Transboundary transport of pollutants from millions of stoves in Asia affects ambient air quality in the western U.S. The EPA ORD (Office of Research and Development) is conducting research and activities to address the problem in coordination with a much larger international effort led by the Clean Cooking Alliance. Goals of ORD’s program include: 1. Supporting the development of standards for cookstoves through ISO TC (Technical Committee) 285: Clean Cookstoves and Clean Cooking Solutions 2. Supporting the development of international Regional Testing and Knowledge Centers for scientifically evaluating and certifying cookstoves to international standards ORD’s program supports EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment through clean cooking solutions. This abstract is for a presentation entitled “An Evaluation of Storage Stability and Composition of Cookstove Filters” to be presented at PIC2019 - The 16th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects on July 10-12, 2019 in Ann Arbor, MI.
Description:
Cookstove emissions are an important source of indoor air pollution and have been associated with various acute and chronic illnesses in children and adults. The levels of extractable organic material (EOMs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in emissions are two endpoints that researchers use to determine the quality of burns. An important question is whether the samples collected in the field or under laboratory settings are stable over the duration of research. To investigate this, filters were collected to mimic field conditions and laboratory conditions. Low-moisture red oak was burned in a natural draft stove and PM2.5 was collected on PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) filters. Filters were stored at ambient temperature and -20°C for up to 90 days, extracted, and percent EOM was estimated. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) model with fixed effects for storage time and temperature. Results show an interaction effect between the time and temperature variables; the effect of storage temperature differs between times only under the laboratory condition while no statistical difference was found under the field condition. The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS; non-targeted chemical profiles were evaluated via principal component analysis and selected PACs were quantified to determine similarities and/or differences between different conditions.