Assessment of Respiratory Health Impact of Fuel-Wood Utilization on Exposed Rural Women in Odeda, Southwestern, Nigeria.
This study monitored the concentration of seven air pollutants and examined the concentration of Carbon monoxide (CO) and Carboxylhaemoglobin (COHb) in human breath and blood among the exposed rural women. A total of 12 villages were purposively selected from the list of villages in Odeda Local government area, (Southwestern Nigeria). Active air samplers were used to monitor air quality at the cooking points in houses selected through systematic random sampling. Air monitoring was observed in replicates between November 2012 and January 2013. In order to elicit information on energy utilization and occurrence of air pollution related health problems among the rural dwellers, one questionnaire was administered to the available female in each selected house. The mean±SD (ppm) concentrations of pollutants monitored across the villages were CO: 15.18±4.29; CO2: 44.09±10.74; NO2: 0.59±0.12; SO2: 2.05±0.65; CH4: 0.58±0.51; PM10: 98.64±9.22 and PM2.5: 43.81±11.11 at average wind speed of 3.11±0.57 m/s. The overall means of Breath CO (ppm) and % COHb were 2.17±0.58 and 1.47±0.37 respectively. PM10 had the highest mean concentration. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the mean concentration of air pollutants across the selected communities except for CH4. However, there was significant negative correlation between PM2.5 and Breath CO (p ≤ 0.05). Health problems frequently experienced in the study area were catarrh, eye irritation, cough, sneezing, dry throat and nausea, shortness of breath, headache, dizziness and skin irritation.
