Indoor particulate matter concentration variations and associations with indoor/outdoor temperature in rural Limpopo

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that, worldwide, approximately 50% of all households and 90% of rural households burn solid fuels as a primary source of energy. In South Africa, data collected during a national census showed that a high proportion of the population use wood, coal or animal dung as fuel for cooking and space heating, the majority of whom reside in rural areas. During the combustion of solid fuels indoors, high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) are released inside the dwellings. Therefore, occupants are exposed to significant health risks that result from personal exposure to PM. This study assessed indoor air quality in rural Giyani, situated in the Limpopo province of South Africa, by monitoring indoor PM4 concentrations, temperature and relative humidity. These were recorded daily in summer (February), spring (September) and winter (July).