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Objective: To analyse the impaired lung functions of people with biofuel smoke exposure. Methods: Nonsmokers with biofuel smoke exposure were selected as research objects in a mountainous area of northern Guangdong where the families used biofuels as main energies and the nonsmokers without biofuel smoke exposure in the same area as control. Questionnaire interviews and spirometry tests were performed on all subjects. To analyse the differences of lung functions in both. Results: Seventy hundred and seventeen subjects were enro1led in this study.There were 530 nonsmokers with biofuel smoke exposure(observation group) including 442 women and 88 men, average age 54±10. There were 187 nonsmokers without biofuel smoke exposure(control group) including 141 women and 46 men, average age 54±10. There was no significant difference between two groups in age, height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist/hip ratio( P >0.05). The pulmonary ventilation function index(FEV(1)%Pred, FEV(1)/FVC) in the observation group was significantly less than that in control group [(100±18) vs .(106±25); (80±10) vs .(83±6) respectively, P <0.05]. Small airway function index(PEF25, PEF50, PEF75, MMPEF and MMPEF%Pred) was significantly less than that in control group( P <0.01). According to the univariate regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis, regression coefficients between BIOFUEL-INDEX and FEV/FVC was -0.1, 95% CI (-0.1, -0.1, P <0.01). According to the threshold analysis, the vertice of BIOFUEL-INDEX was 46.0, where the predicted Y value was 81.76, 95% CI (80.2, 83.33). When BIOFUEL-INDEX<46.0, the regression coefficient was 0, 95% CI (-0.1, 0.0)( P >0.05); when BIOFUEL-INDEX> 46.0, the regression coefficient 2 was -0.1, 95% CI (-0.2, -0.1)( P <0.01). The difference between coefficient 2 and 1 was -0.1, 95% CI (-0.2, 0.0), which was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The Log-Likelihood ratio between Model I and Model Ⅱ had statistical significance ( P =0.019). Conclusions: The biofuel smokes exposure causes damages in lung function.

Background: Biomass fuel smoke exposure contributes to respiratory infections in childhood, but its association with asthma has not been established. We studied the relationship of biomass fuel use with asthma symptoms and lung function in Nigerian children., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 299 village children aged 5-11 years in North Central Nigeria. Data were collected regarding the cooking fuels used and duration of daily smoke exposure in the cooking area. Asthma symptoms were assessed with a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, and lung function was assessed with spirometry., Results: The prevalence of a lifetime history of wheeze was 9.4% (95% CI: 6.3%-13.2%). Fourteen children (4.7%) had airway obstruction (FEV1/FEV6 <85%). Female subjects had lower FEV1 and FEV6 (110 % and 120% percent predicted, respectively) than males (121% and 130%, respectively, P <0.001 for both differences). Advancing age was associated with a relative decline in the predicted value of FEV1 of 7.8 % per year (r = -0.61; P < 0.001). Children in families that used firewood daily did not have a significantly increased likelihood of asthma-related symptoms (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 0.66-8.44). Similarly, airway obstruction did not differ significantly between children in households that did and did not use firewood daily (mean FEV1/FEV6 of 0.95 and 0.97, respectively; P = 0.41)., Conclusion: Reported smoke exposure was not associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms or airway obstruction. However, lifetime smoke exposure may explain the reduction in spirometric values in female subjects and with advancing age., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in non-smokers has been an important concern in past decade. We studied the risk factors responsible for more severe Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Identifying them would help to work against progression to more severe disease as well as prevention., Methods: A prospective cross sectional study was done in outpatient clinic of Jinnah postgraduate medical center from December 2010 to December 2011. All patients fulfilling the criteria for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were taken in study. Patients with less than five pack years smoking with other risk factors for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were evaluated., Results: Out of total 90 patients, 74 (82.2%) had mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 16 (17.7%) had moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Patients with single biomass exposure were found to have mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease except those having mosquito coil exposure. Patients with mosquito coil and wood smoke exposure were observed to have moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p-value 0.009)., Conclusions: Wood smoke with mosquito coil smoke exposure is responsible for more severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the differences associated to the change of biofuel used to cook as a way to estimate the proportion of respiratory abnormalities of respiratory function associated to biomass exposure., Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the respiratory function through spirometry in subjects cooking with biomass or natural gas. All patients were evaluated by a general physician and a pulmonologist. We compared the prevalence of spirometry abnormalities across those cooking with natural gas versus those cooking with biofuel. A multivariable logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to adjust differences by potential confounding factors., Results: 203 subjects were studied. There was a significant increase in the prevalence of severe obstructive pattern (OR 5.50; 95 % CI 1.17-25.79) in subjects who cook with biomass compared with natural gas users. Values of forced expired volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were statistically lower among those cooking with biomass. The prevalence of respiratory morbidity and symptoms were not statistically significant between both groups., Conclusions: These findings suggest that replacing biomass fuel by natural gas may be an important public health intervention in Colombia, because it can reduce the prevalence of abnormal patterns of pulmonary function.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use on ribosome biogenesis in airway cells and peripheral blood leukocytes using the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) staining technique., Study Design: Biomass users were represented by 78 never-smoking, premenopausal women from rural India and a control group of 73 age-matched women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). For silver staining, exfoliated airway cells and circulating lymphocytes and neutrophils were obtained from expectorated sputum and venous blood smears, respectively. Particulate pollution in indoor air was measured by real-time aerosol monitor., Results: Compared with the controls, a statistically significant increase was observed in mean number of AgNOR dots per nucleus, their size, and the percentage of NOR-occupied nuclear area in exfoliated airway epithelial cells, airway neutrophils, and circulating lymphocytes and neutrophils of biomass users. Biomass-using households had 2 to 4 times more particulate pollutants than that of LPG-using households; the changes in AgNOR expression, especially in proliferating basal cells, were positively associated with PM10 and PM2.5 levels in indoor air after controlling potential confounders such as age, kitchen location, and family income., Conclusion: Indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use upregulates ribosome biogenesis in both the airways and peripheral blood.

Purpose: In this study we examined the effect of biofuel smoke exposure at the national and child levels on child anemia., Methods: Data are from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2003 and 2007. The respondents were women (15-49 years) and their children (0-59 months) (n = 117,454) in 29 developing countries., Results: In multinomial logistic regression models, both moderate and high exposure to biofuel smoke at the country level are associated with moderate/severe anemia (odds ratio [OR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.28-4.36 vs OR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.37-5.72) after adjusting for covariates. Exposure to biofuel smoke at home is associated with mild anemia (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01-1.13), and there are interactions between biofuel smoke exposure and child age in months on mild anemia (OR, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.002-1.006) and moderate/severe anemia (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.004-1.008). There are also interactions between biofuel smoke exposure at home and diarrhea on mild anemia (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10-1.34) and on moderate/severe anemia (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.22); and fever on moderate/severe anemia (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.22-1.45)., Conclusions: Given the increasing number of people relying on biofuels in developing countries, policies and programs are necessary to protect children from being exposed to this harmful smoke at home., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)