It’s time to transform your cooking space: Kitchen renovation can reduce household air pollution and save millions of lives.
Renovating the kitchen could be a cost-effective solution for reducing household air pollution in rural China, suggests a new study.
The findings of the study are published in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Mitigating household air pollution exposure through kitchen renovation
).
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Household Air Pollution Starts in the Kitchen
With over three billion people globally still relying on solid fuels like wood and coal for cooking, household air pollution remains a major public health issue.
Researchers found that simple kitchen improvements, such as separating cooking areas and installing ventilation fans, could significantly reduce exposure to harmful pollutants.
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How Kitchen Renovations Reduce Pollution?
The study, conducted by a team from Peking University, surveyed household kitchens across rural China. While 82% of rural households have separated kitchens, only 34% use mechanical ventilation. The use of ventilation fans was linked to higher income and education levels, indicating that affordability and awareness are key barriers.
The researchers estimated that widespread implementation of ventilation and separated kitchens could reduce PM2.5 exposure by 23%, potentially preventing over 67,000 premature deaths annually. This represents a health benefit valued at $19 billion per year, far exceeding the $12 billion cost of renovations.
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Cleaner Kitchens, Healthier Homes
“Kitchen renovation offers an affordable solution to reduce the health impacts of household air pollution in rural areas, particularly where transitioning to cleaner energy is challenging,” said Dr. Guofeng Shen, lead researcher from Peking University. “Our findings highlight the need for government initiatives to promote ventilation systems and improve kitchen design, especially in low-income communities.”
References:
- Mitigating household air pollution exposure through kitchen renovation – (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666498424001157)
Source-Eurekalert
