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Mar 14, 2012 - Abstract. Lack of affordable alternative energy source in most rural areas of Nigeria has resulted in overdependence on fuel-wood for domestic ...
Indoor and Built Environment

Original Paper Accepted: 14 March 2012 Biomass energy utilization, air quality and the health of rural Women and children in Ido LGA, South-western Nigeria 1

Olusegun Oguntoke, 2Adewumi T Adebulehin and 1Harold J. Annegarn

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Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Email: [email protected]; [email protected] 2

Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology University of Agriculture PMB 2240 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

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Corresponding author: Olusegun Oguntoke Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Tel: +27 115593927; +27 733108998 Fax number:+27 115592430 Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Abstract Lack of affordable alternative energy source in most rural areas of Nigeria has resulted in overdependence on fuel-wood for domestic energy supply. The resultant environmental pollution and negative health impact on women and children that are often exposed are sufficient reasons for research and policy concerns. We investigated the pattern of energy utilization in some rural communities and the impact on the health condition of women and children, and the environment by engaging questionnaire interview, retrospective clinic data and air quality monitoring. Fuel-wood used by 75% of the women was sourced from the forest around rural settlements. Although 72% of the women had difficulties using fuel-wood, because no money was paid for exploiting it, it remained the most utilized energy source. The concentration of CO, NO2 and H2S (82.3 ± 2.26, 0.21 ± 0.01 and 0.18 ± 0.01 ppm respectively) in the indoor environment of the selected houses were higher than the permissible limit for human exposure. Common health problems suffered by the sampled rural women and their children include upper respiratory infection, dizziness, eye irritation, catarrh, sneezing, persistent headache and anaemia in pregnancy. Intervention for alternative cleaner energy is required in rural areas of the country as a matter of priority.

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Key words: Air quality, biomass fuel, human health, rural area, smoke, gender Running title: Indoor air quality and human health

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Indoor and Built Environment

remain unreported to health facilities in rural areas of Nigeria and other developing countries [43,44]. It is noteworthy that problems such as children fall into open fire and injuries sustained while collecting fuelwood were not perceived as real problems possibly because they are regarded as unavoidable experiences of living in rural areas.

Conclusions Fuel-wood was a major source of domestic energy in the study area and the choice was due to lack of finance to purchase cleaner energy while forest lands around the settlements provided free

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wood-fuel. There were difficulties encountered in the course of fetching fuel-wood. Besides, several health problems were suffered by women and children that constituted the population at-risk due

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to their frequent and continuous exposure to smoke and other pollutants generated in the course of fuel-wood combustion.

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The concentration of CO, NO2 and H2S were consistently higher than permissible limit possibly due

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to release of fuel-wood pollutants into indoor environment. The findings indicate urgent need of intervention programmes for cleaner and affordable energy provision in rural areas of Nigeria and

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other developing countries in the sub-Saharan Africa. This has potentials for improving the health

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and well-being of women and children, and the general status of the environment by reducing green-house gases accumulation in the atmosphere and conserving the trees in the forest. References

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