Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, 400 Dowman Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30319, USA.
Environ Manage. 2019 Sep;64(3):353-365. doi: 10.1007/s00267-019-01194-3. Epub 2019 Aug 13.
Household air pollution (HAP) is considered to be one of the largest environmental health risks in the world, being responsible each year for ~4.3 million deaths globally and 420,000 in China. Tibetan regions of China are known for pristine ambient air but several recent studies have concluded that the indoor air quality in Tibetan homes is compromised. Tibet is changing rapidly and this study sought to holistically understand HAP in relation to these changes. We took 28 measurements of fine particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) concentrations in a variety of Tibetan dwellings in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. A semi-structured interview and ethnographic participant-observation were also administered with residents to better understand household behaviors and awareness of HAP. The highest concentrations of PM and BC were found in the traditional yak hair tent, but nomads living in plastic tarp tents with improved stoves and stovepipes also had very compromised indoor air quality. All of the nomads in this study said they would prefer to use a fuel other than yak dung. More nomads expressed concern about their local glacier melting due to climate change than HAP, and indoor trash burning was seen at all sites. This study suggests that raising awareness of health and climate impacts due to HAP, in addition to having a better dialogue among the stakeholders and the residents in Tibet, is essential for obtaining better indoor air quality in the region.
家庭空气污染（HAP）被认为是世界上最大的环境健康风险之一，每年在全球造成约 430 万人死亡，在中国造成 42 万人死亡。中国的藏区以原始的环境空气质量而闻名，但最近的几项研究得出结论，藏区家庭的室内空气质量受到了损害。西藏正在迅速变化，本研究旨在全面了解与这些变化相关的 HAP。我们在果洛藏族自治州的各种藏式住宅中进行了 28 次细颗粒物（PM）和黑碳（BC）浓度测量。还对居民进行了半结构化访谈和民族志参与式观察，以更好地了解家庭行为和对 HAP 的认识。PM 和 BC 的浓度最高的是传统的牦牛毛帐篷，但居住在塑料防水布帐篷中的游牧民使用改良的炉灶和烟囱，他们的室内空气质量也非常差。本研究中的所有游牧民都说他们宁愿使用牦牛粪便以外的燃料。更多的游牧民对气候变化导致当地冰川融化表示担忧，而不是对 HAP 表示担忧，所有地点都有室内垃圾燃烧。本研究表明，除了在利益相关者和西藏居民之间进行更好的对话外，提高对 HAP 造成的健康和气候影响的认识，对于改善该地区的室内空气质量至关重要。
