Impact of domestic and commercial combustion activities on women's personal exposure to PM2.5 in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)

Abstract

Few studies have been carried out on personal exposure to fine particles linked to combustion activities in West Africa, despite the high concentrations that have been measured and the health risks they pose. This study is a part of the APIMAMA (Air Pollution Mitigation Action for Megacities in Africa) interdisciplinary research project. We focus on the personal exposure to PM_2.5 of three groups of women who are heavily exposed to domestic and commercial combustion pollution through their daily work in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, specifically in Yopougon. The groups are composed of 30 housewives using wood or charcoal to cook food for their families or for sale; 29 women and 3 men using wood to produce charcoal; and 28 women using wood to smoke fish. All participants wore real-time PM_2.5 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. This study shows alarming 24-h exposure levels: 224.7 (205–245.9) µg m⁻³ for housewives, 251.6 (207.9–306.3) µg m⁻³ for charcoal makers, and 269.2 (191.7–399.8) µg m⁻³ for fish-smoking women. These results are 15 to 18 times higher than the WHO's 24-hours guideline (15 µg m⁻³), posing serious health risks. For each group, the PM_2.5 concentrations and their diurnal variations are closely associated with the reported sources of exposure identified in the health questionnaires. More specifically, the multivariate analysis highlighted the significant role of road traffic in the personal exposure of housewives to PM_2.5, whereas combustion activities were the dominant contributors for the other two groups. This finding is consistent with the quantified 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 total daily exposure of the charcoal makers and fish-smoking women.