Associations of personal exposure to domestic heating and cooking fuel emissions and epidemiological effects on rural residents in the Fenwei Plain, China

Solid fuel combustion for domestic heating in northern China in the wintertime is of great environmental and health concern. This study assesses personal exposure to particulate matter with different aerodynamic diameters and multiple gaseous pollutants from 123 rural residents in Yuncheng, the Fenwei Plain. The subjects are divided into groups based on the unique energy source applied, including biomass, coal, and electricity/no heating activities. The health effects of the exposures are expressed with four urinary biomarkers. The personal exposure levels to three different aerodynamic particle sizes (i.e., PM