Impact of domestic and commercial combustion activities on PM 2.5 women personal exposure in Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire)

Abstract

Few studies have been carried out on the issue of personal exposure to fine particles linked to combustion activities in West Africa, despite the few high concentrations that have been measured and the health risks they pose. This study is a part of APIMAMA (Air Pollution Mitigation Action for Megacities in Africa) interdisciplinary research project. We focus on personal exposure to PM2.5 of three groups of women heavily exposed to domestic and commercial combustions pollution through their daily work in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, specifically in Yopougon. Groups are made up of: 30 housewives using wood or charcoal to cook food for their families or sell it, 29 women and 3 men using wood to make charcoal and 28 women using wood to smoke fish. All participants wore real-time PM2.5 monitors during the dry season (November 2022–March 2023 for housewives and charcoal makers) and the wet season (July–September 2023 for fish-smoking women) for 15 to 30 days. Study shows alarming 24h-exposure levels: 224.7 (205 - 245.9) µg/m³ for housewives, 251.6 (207.9 - 306.3) µg/m³ for charcoal makers, and 269.2 (191.7 - 399.8) µg/m³ for fish-smoking women. These results are 15 to 18 times higher than WHO’s 24-hour guideline (15 µg/m³), posing serious health risks. For each group, PM2.5 concentrations and their diurnal variations are closely linked to all reported sources of exposure to which women are exposed, as indicated in the health questionnaires. More specifically, the multivariate analysis highlighted the significant role of road traffic in the personal exposure of housewives to PM2.5, whereas combustion activities play this role for the other two groups. This finding is consistent with the quantification of the impact of combustion activities on daily exposure levels. Cooking activities with wood and charcoal contribute to 29 ± 10% of the housewives’ total daily exposure, while charcoal making and fish smoking account for 31 ± 8% to 41 ± 13% and 18 ± 16% to 71 ± 18% respectively of the charcoal makers and fish-smoking women total daily exposure.