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Characterisation of Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Its Association with Respiratory Symptoms Among Children Living in Solid Fuel Using Households in Tamil Nadu, India

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Abstract

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is one of the important issues of the global burden of disease. However, reports on VOC emission in South Indian biomass fuel using indoor kitchen environments are limited. This study made an attempt to quantify indoor VOCs in different rural kitchen-configurations (T1–T4) and assessed its impacts on respiratory illness among children. The study results revealed the predominant presence of isoprene (113.33 µg/m3), benzene (24.83 µg/m3), toluene (15.93 µg/m3), ethylbenzene (8.56 µg/m3), xylenes (12.67 µg/m3), styrene (10.51 µg/m3), and chloroform (18.74 µg/m3) in selected households. Smaller and detached kitchens (T4) showed highest concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) than T1, T2, and T3. Regression analysis showed positive correlation (p < 0.05) between pulmonary Function Test values and the data obtained from the American thoracic society questionnaires. Self-reported chest congestion, wheezing, and allergy of the children were found to be higher in accordance with the higher concentrations of TVOCs. Children reported with frequent cough had lesser forced vital capacity (FVC) (78.0%) in the households with higher average TVOC concentrations (389.46 µg/m3) and was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.003). Cumulative hazard index and incremental lifetime cancer risk values showed children who were continuously exposed to biomass smoke were prone to both carcinogenic and no-carcinogenic risks which are represented in probabilistic estimation. This study supports the necessity of the clean cook fuel scheme launched by the Govt. of India, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). This may contribute mitigating VOCs exposure by replacing biomass with LPG for better sustainable child health.

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Abbreviations

TVOC :

Total volatile organic carbon

PFT :

Pulmonary function test

FVC :

Forced vital capacity

FEV1 :

Forced expiratory volume in one second

FEV1/FVC :

Ratio between forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity

FEF 25 – 75 :

Forced expiratory flow of air between 25 and 75 percentage of the lung volume

% pred :

% Predicted

BTEX :

Benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, xylenes

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge Dr.Kalpana Balakrishnan, Dean of Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU) (SRIHER, DU), Chennai for providing me the required administrative support. Authors are thankful to Dr. Sankar Sambandam, Professor& Head, Department of Environmental Health Engineering (SRIHER, DU), Chennai, for approving laboratory support for conducting the study. Authors extend their acknowledgement to M/s. ITC labs Chennai for entire analytical support.

Funding

Study was conducted with self-funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, 600 116, India

    Srinivasan Natarajan, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay, Amudha Natarajan & Deep Chakraborty

  2. Department of Pulmonology, Chest Medicine, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, 600 116, India

    Dhanasekaran Thangaswamy

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  1. Srinivasan Natarajan
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SN, AN, DC: Conducted field work, monitoring and analysis, article drafting and improvement; KM, DT: supervision, editing, concept building.

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Correspondence to Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay.

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Natarajan, S., Mukhopadhyay, K., Thangaswamy, D. et al. Characterisation of Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Its Association with Respiratory Symptoms Among Children Living in Solid Fuel Using Households in Tamil Nadu, India. MAPAN 37, 565–578 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-022-00588-9

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