Air pollution

There is a strong association between the development of COPD and those populations who use biomass fuel for cooking and heating.  Biomass fuel releases a large amount of particulate matter into the air and when combined with poorly ventilated dwellings and living conditions, there is a large risk of developing respiratory disorders.¹

• It is estimated that 50% of the world population use biomass fuels and that two million women and children die annually from COPD developed as a result of this.² Populations that make frequent use of mosquito coils are also at risk as burning a mosquito coil overnight for 8 hours releases the same amount of particulate matter as smoking 4-6 packs of cigarettes.³
• Outdoor air pollution from motor vehicle emissions and other fossil fuel combustion is also thought to have a role in the development of respiratory problems although its specific link to COPD remains unclear.²

References

1. Salvi SS & Barnes PJ. COPD in non-smokers. Lancet 2009;374;733-743.
2. Global Initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease: Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of COPD. 2010. www.goldcopd.org
3. Liu W et al. Environ Health Perspect 2003;111;1454-1460.