Impacts of two improved wood-burning stoves on the indoor air quality:practices in Peru and Brazil

Large amounts of forest wood is still being used in rural housing in low and mid-income countries in South America - 36% in Peru and 6% in Brazil - generating hazardous wood smoke. Interviews were conducted to the users of improved stoves in 20 rural households. In Peru, the field study was carried out during the heating season. Real time concentrations of carbon monoxide were measured using HOBO data loggers while fine particles concentrations were measured in Brazil using a TSI Dust-track monitor before and during the stove operation. The adoption of improved stoves is limited by women cooking habits, safety aspects and the transition to LPG. CO concentrations never exceeded 60 mg/m3 (30 minutes) while increased PM2.5 concentrations exceeded 160 µg/m3 (1-hour) in 4 dwellings.Indoor emissions from heating stoves were reported in closed rooms while outdoor-indoor transport was the main source of fine particle in open kitchen balconies.