Each year, over one billion people worldwide experience at least one day of air pollution due to indoor fires, according to a study published in *Science Advances*.
Fine particles from these fires, specifically those smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5), are known to adversely affect health. Yet, understanding of exposure levels in indoor settings remains limited. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health employed modeling techniques to create high-resolution maps of particle concentrations from 2003 to 2022 on a global scale.
The findings indicate that around 1.009 billion individuals faced significant indoor fire-related air pollution on at least one day each year from 2003 to 2022. Notably, this exposure varied widely around the globe. Africa recorded the highest average annual concentration of indoor fire-related PM 2.5 in relation to population density, followed by Asia and South America.
Furthermore, simulations assessing the deployment of air purifiers and their associated costs revealed similar disparities across countries. The estimated global expenditure on purchasing and maintaining these devices (including electricity and filter replacement) to maintain indoor PM 2.5 levels below the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 μg/m³ could exceed four trillion US dollars annually, with approximately 69 billion dollars specifically aimed at reducing particulate emissions from fires.
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