Biomass combustion and potential health effects in the developing countries.

B combustion is a very large source of aerosol particles on a global scale. It is estimated that 20 % of the black carbon and 30 % of the organic carbon aerosol mass emissions are due to wild land fi res and intentional burning of agricultural waste in Asia. However in those numbers residential fuel combustion is not included, which is considered a larger source of black carbon and organic carbon aerosol particles in developing countries. When it comes to residential fuel combustion it covers combustion of coal, kerosene, gas and biofuel in stoves, cookers and heaters1. In regions where the climate forces people to preserve heat in their houses, food is often cooked over open fi re indoors. The hot emissions from the fi re are then directly used to heat the house, instead of using a heat exchanger such as a chimney. When wood or coal is used as fuel the particle concentration indoor reach hazardous levels. Especially women and their small children are exposed to the emissions, since they spend much time inside and often close to the fi re place2-7. This article elucidates the health effects related to biomass combustion in developing countries with focus on aerosol particles and the current knowledge in this fi eld.