Relationship between biomass exposure, chronic headache and brain damage in young women

Biomass is a source of primary energy consisting of all substances of vegetal and/or animal origin such as wood, manure, and crop residue. Household use of solid biomass fuels is the most common cause of indoor air pollution (IAP) worldwide (1). The IAP caused by the combustion of solid fuels is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality particularly in developing countries. According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.6 million people around the world die prematurely from diseases associated with IAP caused by the inefficient use of solid fuels every year, and the morbidity rate among adult women is 50% higher than that of adult men (2). Most of these women are exposed to biomass smoke when cooking bread or meals over a period of more than 5 hours each day. In developing countries, biomass fuels are commonly used for cooking and heating homes and more than 2 billion people worldwide use these fuels as a source of primary energy (3,4). Inefficient combustion of biomass fuels on an open fire or traditional stove substantially increases indoor levels of health-threatening pollutants such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). The resultant IAP has been associated with numerous health conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, lower respiratory tract infections, cataract, cardiovascular diseases, and adverse pregnancy outcomes (5,6). Biomass smoke (particulates) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are known to cause eye discomfort and CO is known to be a cause headache. However, there is little evidence suggesting an association between these results and IAP (7).