Comparison of air pollutant emissions and household air quality in rural homes using improved wood and coal stoves

Abstract Air pollutant emissions, fuel consumption, and household air pollution were investigated in rural Hubei, central China, as a revisited evaluation of an intervention program to replace coal use by wood in gasifier stoves. Measured emission factors were comparable to the results measured two years ago when the program was initiated. Coal combustion produced significantly higher emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 , and SO 2 compared with wood combustion; however, wood combustion in gasifier stoves had higher emissions of primary PM 2.5 (particles with diameter less than 2.5 μm), Elemental Carbon (EC) and Organic Carbon (OC). In terms of potential impacts on climate, although the use of wood in gasifier stoves produced more black carbon (6.37 vs 910 gCO 2 e per day per capita from coal and wood use) and less SO 2 (-684 vs -312), obvious benefits could be obtained owing to greater OC emissions (-15.4 vs -431), fewer CH 4 emissions (865 vs 409) and, moreover, a reduction of CO 2 emissions. The total GWC 100 (Global Warming Potential over a time horizon of 100 years) would decrease by approximately 90% if coal use were replaced with renewable wood burned in gasifier stoves. However, similar levels of ambient particles and higher indoor OC and EC were found at homes using wood gasifier stoves compared to the coal-use homes. This suggests critical investigations on potential health impacts from the carbon-reduction intervention program.