Intervention research on influence of biomass briquette on human health

Raw coal (RC) is the main fuel in many, especially rural parts of China. Biomass briquette (BB), which has less SO2 emission, was developed as a cleaner alternative for RC. In this research, the cooking fuel of a group of countrywomen was switched from RC to BB and studied for health effects. Five biological indices percent of comet cell (COMET), lysozyme saliva (LYS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were chosen. All indices were measured three times during the 18-month experiment. Statistical analysis shows that there are significant changes in the indices. Using BB as a cooking fuel improves the function of anti-oxidation system and the nonspecific immune system, and reduces the DNA damage, which is negatively related to LYS and SOD.