Impact of Improved Stoves on Indoor Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Results of Pilot Study and Recommendations for Full-Scale Investigation

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is the coldest capital city in the world, with average winter low temperatures of –20° Celsius. Many families there live in gers, traditional Mongolian dwellings consisting of a wooden frame beneath several layers of wool felt. In the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar, cooking and heating energy is provided through indoor coal combustion in metal stoves with chimneys, and in wintertime, such stoves may be in use both day and night. Over the last several years, new stove designs with improved fuel efficiencies have been introduced into many homes with the primary objectives of reducing coal consumption, urban air pollutant concentrations, and greenhouse gas emissions.