Traditional cook stoves recipe for pollution

New measurements of soot produced by traditional cook stoves used in developing countries suggest that these units emit more harmful smoke particles and could have a much greater impact on glob al climate change than previously thought, maintain researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Perhaps as many as 400,000,000 of these stoves, fueled by wood or crop residue, are used daily for cooking and heating by more than 2,000,000,000 people worldwide. In a field test in Honduras, researchers found that cook stoves there, which are similar to those used in other developing nations, produce two times more smoke particles than expected, based on previous laboratory studies. These dark, sooty particles--darker than those created by grassland or forest fires--have a climate-warming effect because they absorb solar energy and heat the atmosphere.

In earlier work, scientists estimated that burning firewood--the principal fuel for cook stoves in the developing world--generates 800,000 metric tons of soot worldwide each year. In comparison, diesel cars and trucks give off about 890,000 metric tons of soot annually. These two sources each account for about 10% of the soot emitted into the world's atmosphere.

In addition to its environmental effects, smoke from cook stove fires is a major cause of respiratory problems, eye infections, and tuberculosis. "The emissions from wood cook stoves affect the health of users, especially of women and children, neighborhood air quality, and global climate," stresses lead author Tami Bond. "Reducing these emissions through the use of cleaner-burning stoves and fuels, should have far-reaching benefits."

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