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Introduction
Biomass accounts for more than 80 per cent of domestic cooking in India, and about 90 per cent of the biomass burning households of the country use wood, crop residue or animal dung as their primary cooking fuel ([8] Holdren and Smith, 2000). The combustion of biomass fuels produces a large number of air pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx ), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2 ), respirable particulates, formaldehyde and benzene. Earlier studies have also reported the emission of great concentrations of particulate matters from small scale biomass combustion process and their adverse health effects ([4] Bologa et al. , 2012; [6] Gordon et al. , 2007). Studies have shown that PM10 concentrations range from 500-2,000 μg m-3 during cooking sessions in typical Indian households, which is several times the US EPA, standard of 24-hour average of 150 μg m-3 ([2] Balakrishnan et al. , 2002). In addition to the particulate matters, indoor cooking also emits CO, NO2 , benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Benzene and PAHs (like benzo a pyrene) have also been known for their carcinogenicity. These pollutants have significant adverse health impacts on the women who are primary cooks and the children (below age five years) who spend most of their time in doors. Many studies have reported pre-mature delivery, pneumonia, respiratory illness, asthma and other health disease related to indoor air pollution ([16] Ritz et al. , 2000). Besides morbidity, indoor air pollution from biomass burning in developing countries is believed to be responsible for an estimated 2.2-2.5 million deaths every year ([19] WHO, 1997).
UN report of children's health (based on 2006 data), states that India has 21 per cent (21 million) of the total deaths in the world's under five years age group and a third of the world's underweight children, 54.6 million under five children. Out of the 19 million low birth weight (<2.5 kg) new born, 8.3 million are Indian, poor health is a risk factor for mortality from pneumonia, number one killer among children. Studies among older Indian population, aged 19-60 years, has shown that women chronically exposed to smoke from biomass burning during household cooking suffer from increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function and inflammatory changes...