published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Chapter 1. Background: Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease and is characterized by recurrent airway obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and airway inflammation. Asthma is the leading cause of childhood hospitalization and school absenteeism in the United States. The associations between adverse respiratory effects and exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other byproducts of combustion such as particulate matter (PM) in particular ultrafine particulates (UFP), Ozone (O3) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), have been the focus of many epidemiological studies in recent years. Indoor exposure to NO2 and other pollutants from combustion may increase the risk of acute and chronic respiratory disease, reduce lung function, initiate and exacerbate asthma in children. The levels of exposure to NO2 indoors are of public health concern because children spend nearly 70% of their time indoors at home. According to the 2010 US Census report, approximately 39% of US households use natural gas for cooking, and the primary source of residential NO2 is a gas-fuel cooking appliance. Indoor levels of NO2 where NO2 sources are present can be much higher than outdoors, where the primary source of NO2 is vehicular traffic. Epidemiological studies in developed countries suggest that gas stoves used for cooking and/or heat are associated with an increased risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms in children. While there are numerous, epidemiological studies supporting an association between increased NO2 levels and gas stoves and asthma symptom severity in children, there are other studies that have examined the relationship in homes that did not observe significant associations. A better understanding of how NO2 and other indoor environmental (e.g., environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), allergens) exposures contribute to asthma morbidity in inner city preschool children will allow interventions to more effectively designed and implemented. To date, there are conflicting results on the role of exposure to indoor NO2 and its association with new-onset asthma in young inner-city children. The recent studies assessing the effects of indoor NO2 on asthma morbidity were limited to inner-city children, largely older, who were diagnosed with asthma. A gap in knowledge remains regarding the role indoor NO2 plays on the development of asthma in children not previously diagnosed. The scientific and public health rationale for conducting this dissertation was to describe the association of exposure to indoor NO2 and primary sources with the initiation and exacerbation of asthma symptoms among pre-school children with and without diagnosed asthma. The data analyzed in the current research come from a larger study of Endotoxin, Obesity, and Asthma (EOA) in the New York City Head Start Program, funded in the summer of 2002. The primary research objective of that study was to identify modifiable risk factors associated with asthma and asthma persistence among preschool children from low-income families living in select New York City neighborhoods with high pediatric asthma hospitalization rates. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from the study questionnaire and home visit sampling at study enrollment. The analyses were performed in two phases: the first phases used data collected at study enrollment and the second phase used data collected 12-months after study baseline. Henceforth, the dissertation will refer to the first analyses as the baseline study and the second as the follow-up study. The research evaluated the association of NO2 exposure with asthma status among New York City Head Start children with and without asthma at study enrollment and with respiratory symptoms among children with asthma at 12-month follow-up. Chapter 2. Baseline Study: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from the study questionnaire and home visit sampling at study enrollment. Specifically, the research sought to evaluate the association of NO2 exposure with asthma status among New York City Head Start children with and without asthma at study enrollment and with respiratory symptoms among children with asthma at enrollment. A total of 503 children were included in the baseline study. A total of 105 children (20.9%) met the criteria for both asthma and allergy, and 67 (13.3%) met the criteria for asthma alone. Girls made up 51.7% and boys, 48.3% of the 503 study participants. Descriptive analyses suggested that asthma/allergy status was associated with: male gender, non-Mexican ethnicity/national origin, presence of a smoker in the child’s home, number of smokers in the child’s home, self-reported parental history of asthma, mother’s education level and sensitization to one or more of the four allergens. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the magnitude and direction (as well as trend) of the association between childhood asthma and indoor NO2 sources in the child’s home. Chapter 3. Follow-up Study: Our follow-up study involved the analysis of the 12-month follow-up data from the study of Endotoxin, Obesity, and Asthma in the New York City Head Start Program funded in the summer of 2002. We focused on assessing the magnitude and direction of the associations of exposure to indoor NO2 levels (based on baseline NO2 measurements) with children’s asthma status and with symptom severity among asthmatics at 1-year follow-up. For the follow-up study, we categorized children by whether their asthma status had changed since baseline. Descriptive analyses were performed looking at key characteristics by “change in asthma status.” Children’s asthma status at baseline and at follow-up, were based on responses to the questionnaire. We analyzed indoor NO2 level measurements at baseline in relation to asthma outcomes on follow-up. We did not have enough data on NO2 levels at follow-up to analyze them in relation to asthma status on follow-up. Unless the family had relocated since baseline and/or reported changes since baseline in the use of gas appliances or the number of smokers in the home, we assumed that baseline NO2 levels in the participating children’s homes were reasonable proxies for current exposures. We looked at the number of children who moved since baseline and whether the move (for example, looking at gas stove status, age of new building) may have impacted indoor NO2 levels. Of the 503 children who were included in the baseline analyses, 47.3% had data on asthma status on follow-up. A total of 238 children (111 male, 127 female) were grouped into the four mutually exclusive outcome categories: 122 (51.3%) did not have asthma at baseline or on follow-up, 34 (14.3%) had asthma on follow-up but not at baseline, 65 (27.3%) had asthma at baseline but not on follow-up, and 17 (7.1%) had asthma at baseline and on follow-up. The mean age at 1-year follow-up was 59.5 months (6.95), and neither age nor gender was associated with asthma. The distribution of ethnicity/national origin among the 238 children remained the same as at baseline; no one ethnicity group experienced disproportionate loss to follow-up, and asthma status remained associated with non-Mexican ethnicity/national origin, although 44.1% with new-onset asthma were of Mexican background. Asthma was also associated with self-reported parental history of asthma and allergy in children, but nearly 80% of children with new-onset asthma had no such parental history of asthma. More parents of children with new-onset (35.3%) or persistent asthma (23.5%) than of other children reported making efforts to reduce risk factors or triggers for asthma exacerbations in the past 12 months. Chapter 4. Dissertation Conclusion : The primary objective of the dissertation research was the examination of the relationship between asthma and asthma severity and exposure to gas cooking and residential NO2. In both our baseline and 12-month follow-up studies, exposure to indoor NO2 was represented by the baseline measurement of NO2 and the NO2 surrogate, gas stove. Asthma status of children was based on parental responses on the questionnaire regarding asthma symptoms and urgent care visits due to respiratory distress over the course of each 12-month period prior to the conducting study questionnaires. For both studies, we did not find an association between exposure to NO2 levels at baseline and asthma status or severity. Our findings contradict the results of most recent studies of both NO2 levels and residential sources of NO2 and their effects on asthma symptoms in very young children. However, it remains difficult to compare our results we those of previous published studies because those studies primarily focused on children who were diagnosed with asthma, whereas our research included preschool aged children with and without asthma. Based on our findings and the fact they conflict with other epidemiological studies, of which there were also conflicting results, we feel that the relationship between asthma symptoms and NO2 exposures remains ambiguous. The lack of consistent results of epidemiological research raises questions that should be the focus of future epidemiological studies. What are the roles of co-pollutants and co-risk factors? Does NO2 work alone or in concert with other indoor pollutants? There exists a real lack of understanding on the possible synergistic effects of exposure to NO2 and other combustion byproducts. Important to furthering our knowledge of the role of exposure to indoor NO2 and asthma is determining whether NO2 acts as a surrogate for co-pollutants that are considered risk factors for asthma and other respiratory conditions. Another focus of future indoor pollution studies should be the development of effective methods and technologies for measuring the constituents of the complex mixture of pollutants in indoor air; these methods and technologies can then be applied in personal monitoring of exposure to indoor pollutants in epidemiological studies that would help to determine with much more accuracy the effects of individual indoor pollutants on asthma and other respiratory symptoms. This knowledge would help in the development of more effective public health and environment policies towards reducing the burden of childhood asthma.

The high incidence of upper respiratory diseases, contamination of waterways due to pathogens and nutrients from human and animal wastes, unsustainable deforestation, gender disparities in burden of disease due to unequal exposure to indoor air pollutants, and carbon black emissions from the burning of solid fuels are interrelated problems in many developing countries. Small scale anaerobic digestion provides a means of alleviating these problems by treating livestock waste onsite to produce biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) in rural areas in developing countries. Fuel can then be used for cooking, lighting, and heating. Methane fuel is an alternative to traditional three-stone fires, improved cook stoves, and liquid petroleum gas. However, there is a lack of information available on design methods for these systems. The goal of this research was to develop a design tool that could be used for anaerobic digester sizing based on livestock waste availability. An Excel spreadsheet model was developed for sizing the bioreactor and the gas container based upon recommended values from a literature review. Needed monitoring parameters for operation of an anaerobic digester in the field were identified and standard methods of analysis were recommended. Sample preservation techniques were detailed. Guidelines for pathogen reduction in thermophilic anaerobic digestion were identified. Further study of pathogen reduction in low temperature reactors currently in use in developing countries was recommended. Three digester designs included in the Excel spreadsheet model were: the polyethylene tubular digester, the floating drum digester, and the fixed dome digester. The design tool may be requested from Dr. Sarina Ergas, sergas(at)usf.edu. An organic loading rate of 1.0 kg VS/(m3*d) was chosen for use in the design tool based upon a review of the literature. A semi-empirical kinetic model was developed for defining the SRT based on the temperature inputted by the user. Three case studies, based upon livestock waste availability in a rural community in the Dominican Republic, were analyzed using the sizing design tool. The case studies were conducted on three scales: one household, six households, and a village of 48 households. The specific biogas production rates were, for Case Studies one through three, respectively, 0.0076, 0.0069, and 0.010 m3 biogas/kg Volatile Solids reduced. Additional future work included: characterization of human feces and guinea pig manure, laboratory and field testing of the Excel spreadsheet design tool, and promotion of anaerobic digesters by development workers, non-governmental organizations, and governments.

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

Muitos dos locais onde as atividades são realizadas nas academias de ginásticas são salas pequenas e fechadas com sistema de climatização artificial, freqüentados por um grande número de alunos realizando seus exercícios e profissionais auxiliando as atividades. Com isso, há uma intensa transpiração desses indivíduos, uma freqüente rotina de limpeza do piso e de equipamentos com pequenos intervalos, possibilitando a alterações da qualidade do ar indoor. O presente trabalho busca mostrar as tendências de variações nos valores das concentrações dos poluentes atmosféricos BTEX em ambiente indoor, especificamente na sala de spinning de uma academia de ginástica do Rio de Janeiro. Para o monitoramento da qualidade do ar foram utilizados cartuchos de carvão ativado SKC, acoplado a uma bomba KNF com vazão de 1l min. Para a extração de cada amostra foi feita a análise cromatográfica com cromatógrafo a gás modelo 6890 acoplado a um espectrômetro de massa modelo 5973 da marca Agilent. Foram analisadas 34 amostras coletadas na salas de spinning durante as aulas com atividades aeróbicas, o que intensificava a respiração dos indivíduos, possibilitando uma maior inalação destes COVs. Em contrapartida, também foram coletadas 5 amostras outdoor, 4 delas pareadas indoor/ outdoor para uma análise comparativa das concentrações destes poluentes. Dentre os compostos orgânicos voláteis analisados, o tolueno é o BTEX mais abundante obtido neste trabalho, representando 81% destes COVs indoor. Todas as amostras medidas em pares indoor/ outdoor tiveram concentrações maiores no interior, exceto para o benzeno no dia 3/12/2010. Simples atividades usualmente realizadas pelo homem, como a inserção de piso emborrachado, manutenção do sistema de climatização artificial, e limpeza podem alterar o ar indoor. As conclusões alcançadas após as medições das concentrações de BTEX foram de que o ar indoor estava mais poluído do que o outdoor. Este monitoramento da qualidade do ar indoor ainda é escasso no Brasil. Alguns esforços tem sido feito em relação a ambientes confinados como a Portaria n˚3523 do Ministério da Saúde, regulamentando o controle dos ambientes climatizados e a Resolução n˚9 da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, além da Resolução CONAMA n ˚3 estabelecendo padrões de qualidade do ar para alguns compostos químicos, porém muitos compostos químicos ainda não são legislados ou não possuem a devida atenção, não sendo suficientes para contemplar a complexidade do assunto / In many gyms work-out activities take place in small enclosed rooms where the climate is controlled artificially. Normally, those rooms are full of students doing their workout and trainers helping them. Intense human transpiration requires a frequent floor and equipment cleaning routine. This routine, performed at short intervals can affect the indoor air quality. This study is aimed at showing varying concentration levels of the BTEX air pollutant at a gym in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, specifically the spinning room. To monitor the air quality, activated charcoal cartridges (SKC) were used, coupled to a KNF pump with a flow rate of 1l min. For the extraction of each sample, a gas chromatographic analysis machine model 6890 was used coupled to an Agilent mass spectrometer model 5973. We analyzed a total of 34 air samples collected in the spinning room during active aerobic classes; the increased respiration from the subjects allow for a greater inhalation of VOCs. In Contrast, five samples were also collected outdoors; four of them were paired indoor / outdoor for comparative analysis of these pollutants. Among the volatile organic compounds analyzed, toluene was the most abundant BTEX found in this study, representing 81% of indoor VOCs. In all the indoor / outdoor paired samples, the concentration was higher in the interior samples, with one exception, benzene on 3/12/2010. Simple changes that can easily be done by man, such as the installation of rubberized flooring, regular maintenance of the air acclimatization equipment, and general cleanliness can greatly affect the indoor air quality. The conclusion achieved after looking at the BTEX measurements was that the indoor air was more polluted than the air outdoors. This air quality monitoring is still scarce in Brazil. Some efforts have been made in relation to confined spaces such as Ordinance n˚ 3523 from the Ministry of Health, which regulates the air of air-conditioned environments and Resolution n˚ 9 of the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance, as well as Resolution CONAMA n˚ 3 by setting standards for air quality for some chemical compounds, unfortunately many chemical compounds are not yet legislated or receive proper attention in this matter, therefore not giving this indoor air pollution matter enough grounds to address the complexity of the subject

Muitos dos locais onde as atividades são realizadas nas academias de ginásticas são salas pequenas e fechadas com sistema de climatização artificial, freqüentados por um grande número de alunos realizando seus exercícios e profissionais auxiliando as atividades. Com isso, há uma intensa transpiração desses indivíduos, uma freqüente rotina de limpeza do piso e de equipamentos com pequenos intervalos, possibilitando a alterações da qualidade do ar indoor. O presente trabalho busca mostrar as tendências de variações nos valores das concentrações dos poluentes atmosféricos BTEX em ambiente indoor, especificamente na sala de spinning de uma academia de ginástica do Rio de Janeiro. Para o monitoramento da qualidade do ar foram utilizados cartuchos de carvão ativado SKC, acoplado a uma bomba KNF com vazão de 1l min. Para a extração de cada amostra foi feita a análise cromatográfica com cromatógrafo a gás modelo 6890 acoplado a um espectrômetro de massa modelo 5973 da marca Agilent. Foram analisadas 34 amostras coletadas na salas de spinning durante as aulas com atividades aeróbicas, o que intensificava a respiração dos indivíduos, possibilitando uma maior inalação destes COVs. Em contrapartida, também foram coletadas 5 amostras outdoor, 4 delas pareadas indoor/ outdoor para uma análise comparativa das concentrações destes poluentes. Dentre os compostos orgânicos voláteis analisados, o tolueno é o BTEX mais abundante obtido neste trabalho, representando 81% destes COVs indoor. Todas as amostras medidas em pares indoor/ outdoor tiveram concentrações maiores no interior, exceto para o benzeno no dia 3/12/2010. Simples atividades usualmente realizadas pelo homem, como a inserção de piso emborrachado, manutenção do sistema de climatização artificial, e limpeza podem alterar o ar indoor. As conclusões alcançadas após as medições das concentrações de BTEX foram de que o ar indoor estava mais poluído do que o outdoor. Este monitoramento da qualidade do ar indoor ainda é escasso no Brasil. Alguns esforços tem sido feito em relação a ambientes confinados como a Portaria n˚3523 do Ministério da Saúde, regulamentando o controle dos ambientes climatizados e a Resolução n˚9 da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, além da Resolução CONAMA n ˚3 estabelecendo padrões de qualidade do ar para alguns compostos químicos, porém muitos compostos químicos ainda não são legislados ou não possuem a devida atenção, não sendo suficientes para contemplar a complexidade do assunto / In many gyms work-out activities take place in small enclosed rooms where the climate is controlled artificially. Normally, those rooms are full of students doing their workout and trainers helping them. Intense human transpiration requires a frequent floor and equipment cleaning routine. This routine, performed at short intervals can affect the indoor air quality. This study is aimed at showing varying concentration levels of the BTEX air pollutant at a gym in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, specifically the spinning room. To monitor the air quality, activated charcoal cartridges (SKC) were used, coupled to a KNF pump with a flow rate of 1l min. For the extraction of each sample, a gas chromatographic analysis machine model 6890 was used coupled to an Agilent mass spectrometer model 5973. We analyzed a total of 34 air samples collected in the spinning room during active aerobic classes; the increased respiration from the subjects allow for a greater inhalation of VOCs. In Contrast, five samples were also collected outdoors; four of them were paired indoor / outdoor for comparative analysis of these pollutants. Among the volatile organic compounds analyzed, toluene was the most abundant BTEX found in this study, representing 81% of indoor VOCs. In all the indoor / outdoor paired samples, the concentration was higher in the interior samples, with one exception, benzene on 3/12/2010. Simple changes that can easily be done by man, such as the installation of rubberized flooring, regular maintenance of the air acclimatization equipment, and general cleanliness can greatly affect the indoor air quality. The conclusion achieved after looking at the BTEX measurements was that the indoor air was more polluted than the air outdoors. This air quality monitoring is still scarce in Brazil. Some efforts have been made in relation to confined spaces such as Ordinance n˚ 3523 from the Ministry of Health, which regulates the air of air-conditioned environments and Resolution n˚ 9 of the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance, as well as Resolution CONAMA n˚ 3 by setting standards for air quality for some chemical compounds, unfortunately many chemical compounds are not yet legislated or receive proper attention in this matter, therefore not giving this indoor air pollution matter enough grounds to address the complexity of the subject

Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has critical health implications for developing fetuses and subsequently for infants and young children. Research has suggested that this ambient air pollutant can be found indoors in quantities that may be hazardous to human health. In low-income neighborhoods in New York City such as northern Manhattan and the South Bronx, where there are disproportionately high rates of asthma and asthma-related hospitalizations, high rates of indoor exposure to VOCs persist. Simultaneously, as mobile devices expand, applications on mobile devices may be used to educate parents of children who reside in these geographic regions about indoor VOC emission sources and subsequently how to reduce exposure.Therefore, this study sought to assess the role of mobile device applications in reducing household VOCs by assessing the feasibility of existing health applications on both Apple and Android OS mobile devices without the use of a household air monitoring unit. An online survey assessed awareness of VOCs and identified knowledge of both emission sources and reduction methods of household VOCs among a sample of (N = 57) parents/guardians residing in the Northern Manhattan and Southern Bronx regions with children under the age of 5. A series of focus groups were conducted among a subset of participants to assess the adaptability of a mobile application prototype that specifically targets the reduction of VOCs. Lastly, a preliminary mobile device application mockup was created with potential features. The key findings of this study included the following: (a) the author identified no existing mobile device applications that could be utilized as a method for VOC reduction without the use of a physical in-home air monitor; (b) while parents had some baseline awareness of VOCs, there were gaps within their knowledge of VOCs, particularly with emission sources; (c) the feasibility of this proposed application as a potential source of intervention for indoor VOC mitigation was apparent through parent willingness to explore its possible use, while providing ample recommendations for optimal mobile device application design; and (d) the exploratory mockup of the proposed mobile device application was generated with suggested features.

La sensibilisation du grand public à la pollution intérieure, les exigences croissantes des réglementations/recommandations le tout combiné à une nécessité de se démarquer de la concurrence, font de la limitation de la concentration des COV (COV : Composés Organiques Volatiles) dans l’air habitacle un enjeu crucial pour l’industrie automobile. En effet, à l’intérieur des véhicules, les COV sont principalement issus de l’air extérieur par combustion et évaporation du carburant mais, contrairement aux autres polluants, peuvent également avoir une origine intérieure à l’habitacle de par la désorption de substances chimiques utilisées lors de la fabrication des matériaux présents dans le véhicule. La capture des COV par adsorption sur charbons actifs ou zéolithes est à ce jour l’une des techniques d’abattement des COVs les plus efficaces et les moins coûteuses mais souffre de certaines limitations (sélectivité, régénération). L’objectif de cette thèse a consisté à étudier une alternative avec l’emploi d’une autre classe d’adsorbants ‘hybrides’ : les Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). Formés de briques inorganiques connectées par des ligands organiques, ces matériaux poreux cristallisés présentent une grande diversité structurale ainsi qu’une composition chimique (métal, ligand) et une porosité (taille des pores, surface spécifique et volume poreux) extrêmement modulables. Cela vient de la possibilité quasi-infinie de faire varier à la fois le centre métallique et le ligand organique, ce que l’on ne retrouve pas à cette échelle chez les zéolithes et les charbons actifs. Le travail a consisté à évaluer les performances d’une série d’une dizaine de MOFs, possédant des propriétés chimiques (acidité, redox, hydrophiles/hydrophobes, …) et structurales (taille et forme des pores, réseaux rigides ou flexibles…) différenciées mais aussi de leur stabilité avérée (eau, température) et mise à l’échelle déjà établie. En plus des caractérisations usuelles (diffraction des rayons X, analyse thermogravimétrique, spectroscopie Infra-Rouge, porosimétrie N2 à 77K), la spectroscopie Infra-Rouge operando a été utilisée pour simuler le comportement de ces MOFs en présence de COV dans des conditions aussi proches que possible de la réalité. Les adsorbants les plus prometteurs ont ensuite été mis à l’échelle (50-100 g) et mis en forme (pastilles) puis testés en chambre de simulation environnementale. / The indoor air pollution awareness of general public and the increasing demands of regulations / recommendations, combined with a need to stand out from the competition, make limiting the concentration of VOCs (VOCs : volatile organic compounds ) in the air cockpit crucial for the automotive industry. For example, inside a vehicle, the VOCs are originated from the outside air by combustion and evaporation of fuel. However, unlike other pollutants, it may also have an inner origin from the desorption of existing chemical substances used in the manufacture of the vehicle. Thus, the capture of VOCs by adsorption is one of the challenging techniques today. In this context, activated carbon and zeolite based VOC abatement are effective and least expensive but suffers some limitations in stability, selectivity and regeneration. The aim of this thesis was to study an alternative class of 'hybrid' adsorbents i.e. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). These porous crystalline materials are built by the association of inorganic bricks connected by organic ligands. They have highly tunable structural diversity,chemical composition (metal:ligand) and porosity (pore size, surface area and pore volume). Moreover, they possess almost infinite ability to vary both the metal center and the organic ligand that is not found at this level in zeolites and activated carbons. The work was to evaluate the performance of a series of ten MOFs, having diverse architecture (size and shape of the pores, rigid or flexible networks ...), chemical properties (acidity, redox, hydrophilic / hydrophobic, ...) and stability (water temperature). In addition to the usual characterization (X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, porosimetry N2 at 77K), Infra-Red spectroscopy operando was performed to simulate the behavior of these MOFs in the presence of VOCs in conditions as close as possible to the reality. Furthermore, the most promising adsorbents were scaled up (50-100 g) and formatted/fabricated as pellets and tested for environmental simulation chamber.

Introduktion: Enligt WHO dör det per år ungefär 3,8 miljoner människor av exponering från inomhusluftföroreningar och ungefär 3 miljarder människor lagar mat och värmer upp sina hem med förorenade bränslen, så som trä, kol, fotogen och gödsel. Både genom kortvarig och långvarig exponering för dessa föroreningar så kan hälsoproblem uppstå.  Syfte: Vårt syfte med denna studie är att beskriva hälsoeffekterna för inomhusluftföroreningar hos barn som lever i hushåll där matlagning och uppvärmning sker med förorenade bränslen.  Metod: en kvalitativ systematisk litteraturstudie. Analysen genomfördes med tematisk analys. Databaserna som användes var PubMed och WorldCat. Tjugo artiklar inkluderades i studien. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i två teman och tre underteman. Prevalensen för förorenad bränsleanvändning var högre i hushåll där barn dog vid ålder 1-4 år. Barn som bor i de länder med högst förorenat bränsleanvändning hade en sjufaldig ökning av frekvensen av lunginflammation per barnår. Förorenad bränsleanvändning var signifikant i förhållande till låg födelsevikt. Två studier visade att risken för att drabbas av Acute respiratory infection (ARI) på grund av hushållens användning av förorenade bränslen var 1,5 gånger högre, än för barn från hushåll med renare bränslen.  Slutsats: Utifrån resultaten i dn här studien har det framkommit att respiratoriska symtom/sjukdomar är det vanligaste hälsoeffekterna som drabbar barn som bor i hushåll där förorenade bränslen används för matlagning eller uppvärmning. resultaten tyder även på tt platsen för användning av förorenade bränslen har stor betydelse, då matlagning inomhus utan ventilation har ett högre utfall av respiratoriska symtom hos barn, jämfört med barn som lever i hushåll där matlagning sker utomhus eller där det finns ventilationsmöjligheter i matlagningsområdet. / Introduction. According to WHO, about 3,8 million people die from indoor air pollution exposure each year and about 3 billion people cook and heat their homes with polluted fuels such as wood, coal, kerosene and manure. Both through short-term and prolonged exposure to these contaminants, health problems can arise. Aim. Our aim with this study is to describe the health effects for indoor air pollution in children living in households where cooking and heating takes place with polluted fuels. Method. A qualitative systematic review. The analysis was conducted with thematic analysis. The databases used were PubMed and WorldCat. Twenty articles were included in the study. Result. The analysis resulted in two themes and three sub-themes. Prevalence of polluted fuel use was higher in households where children died at age 1-4 years. Children living in countries with the highest levels of polluted fuel use experienced a sevenfold higher rate of pneumonia per child year. Polluted fuel use was also related to low birth weight. Two studies showed that the risk of suffering from Acute Respiratory infection (ARI) due to household use of polluted fuels was 1.5 times higher than for children from households using cleaner fuels. Conclusion. Based on the results of this study, it has emerged that respiratory symptoms and diseases are the most common health effects among children living in households where solid fuels are used for cooking or heating. Results also indicates that the location of the use of solid fuels is of great importance since indoor cooking without ventilation, has a higher outcome of respiratory symptoms in children, compared to children living in households where cooking takes place outdoors or where there are ventilation possibilities in the cooking area.