Household fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations from cooking fuels: the case in an urban setting, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

Household air pollution from biomass fuel is a main cause of health problem in Ethiopia, since 93% of households use solid fuel for cooking. Household air pollution studies are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, we attempted to determine the level of household fine particulate matter concentrations from cooking fuels in Wolaita Sodo town, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study design was used to measure particulate matter (PM2.5) in 109 kitchens in randomly selected households. The University of California Berkeley particle monitor data logger devices were used for measuring the level of PM2.5 for the duration of 24 h based on the installation protocol. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the variation across fuel sources. Out of 109 households, 83 (76.15%) and 26 (23.85%) used predominately biomass fuel and mixed types fuel sources for cooking respectively. The overall geometric mean of PM2.5 was 413.27 μg/m3. The magnitude of PM2.5 from biomass fuel source was a mean (SD) of 926.34 μg/m3(899.00), followed by mixed type of fuel users, 279.42 μg/m3 (216.71). The median concentration of PM2.5 in all monitored households was 412.55 μg/m3. One-way ANOVA between fuel types was found to be statistically significant resulted in different mean concentration of particulate matter for both types of fuels used in households [P < 0.001]. PM2.5 was higher than the World Health Organization air quality guideline value. Therefore, supplying improved cook stoves and clean fuel sources is decisive intervention.