To investigate the effects of black carbon (BC) pollutants on the health of rural women cooking with wood fuel, Jill Baumgartner and colleagues measured the daily BC exposure of 280 women in China’s rural Yunnan province. (Photo credit: Jill Baumgartner)
Black carbon pollutants from wood-burning stoves and vehicle emissions are associated with elevated blood pressure in Chinese women, a new study shows.
Black carbon is an air pollutant that comes from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or wood; while it’s only one component of airborne dust, this is the first study to single it out as a cause of high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to increased risk of heart disease and strokes. Half the world population cooks with these fuels, particularly in Asia, in Latin America and Africa, and even in Canada, wood heaters are common.
The authors recommend tracking black carbon as an indicator of population health.
Original research paper published in PNAS on August 25, 2014.
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