Abstract
Objective: The study determines the association between biomass fuel use and serum nitric oxide (NO) levels among women in villages of Gadap town, Karachi, Pakistan
Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Gadap town, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 83 women between 15-45 years of age were recruited with 43 biomass users and 40 using natural gas as primary cooking fuel. Particulate matter (PM2.5) and Carbon monoxide (CO) was measured in kitchens using an aerosol monitor Sidepak and Monoxor II, respectively. Serum Nitric Oxide (NO) was measured through Griess reaction. Multivariate regression was conducted to determine the association between serum NO levels and biomass.
Results: CO and PM2.5 levels in kitchens among biomass [CO: 20.22 (±12.2), PM 2.5:4.46 (±3.6)] users were significantly higher compared to natural gas users [CO: 1.22 (± 1.22), PM2.5:0.05 (± 0.02)]. Blood serum NO levels among women were significantly (p<0.001) higher in biomass users (280.8±25 µmol/L) compared to natural gas users (230.4±10 µmol/L). Multivariate regression analysis found unit change in biomass use associated with 0.25 unit (p<0.02) change in NO levels, after adjusting for age and socioeconomic status
Conclusion: Women who are using biomass as fuel are exposed to high levels of CO and PM2.5 pollutants. High NO levels in biomass users may indicate enhanced in vivo inflammatory responses. Further studies are needed to identify the role of serum NO levels in causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among biomass users
Citation
Kazi A. Association between Biomass Fuel for Cooking and Serum Nitric Oxide among Women in Karachi, Pakistan. SM J Fam Med. 2018; 2(1): 1015s.