Lung function of primary cooks using LPG or biomass and the effect of particulate matter on airway epithelial barrier integrity.

Background: Cooks exposed to biomass fuel experience increased risk of respiratory disease and mortality. We sought to characterize lung function and environmental exposures of primary cooking women using two fuel-types in southeastern India, as well as to investigate the effect of particulate matter (PM) from kitchens on human airway epithelial (HAE) cells in vitro.

Methods: We assessed pre- and post-bronchodilator lung function on 25 primary female cooks using wood biomass or liquified petroleum gas (LPG), and quantified exposures from 34 kitchens (PM, PM < 40 μm, black carbon, endotoxin, and PM metal and bacterial content).