--- title: "Severity of indoor air pollution in Nepal" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 5 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:indoor-air-pollution-severity" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/indoor-air-pollution-severity site: BCT Engineering --- # Severity of indoor air pollution in Nepal Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 5: Water and Air Pollution - Asked in: 2078 Bhadra - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/indoor-air-pollution-severity - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-5 ## Question Briefly discuss on severity of Indoor Air Pollution problem in Nepal. ## Short answer Indoor air pollution from biomass cooking in poorly ventilated kitchens causes severe health effects in Nepal, including pneumonia, COPD and lung cancer, especially among women and children. Over half of households use firewood, generating PM2.5 levels many times above WHO guidelines, making it a top risk factor. ## Answer **Indoor air pollution** is the pollution of air inside houses and other buildings, mainly by smoke from burning solid fuels (firewood, dung, crop residue) and kerosene for cooking, heating and lighting. It is one of the most serious but least noticed environmental health problems in Nepal. #### Severity of the problem in Nepal 1. **Widespread use of biomass** – around half of Nepali households use firewood as their main cooking fuel (Census 2021); in rural hills and mountains the share is much higher. 2. **Traditional stoves and poor ventilation** – open fires and mud stoves without chimneys, small windows, kitchen inside the living room. Indoor PM2.5 during cooking can be many times the WHO guideline and far higher than outdoor levels. 3. **Long exposure** – women spend several hours cooking each day; in cold areas the fire burns most of the day for heating, and families sleep in the same room. 4. **Most affected groups** – women, infants and young children, and the elderly. 5. **Health effects** - Acute lower respiratory infection (pneumonia) – a major killer of children under five. - COPD and chronic bronchitis among women. - Lung cancer, asthma and tuberculosis. - Cataract and eye irritation. - Low birth weight and stillbirths. - Carbon monoxide poisoning (deaths are reported in winter from charcoal or gas heaters in closed rooms). 6. **Burden of disease** – household air pollution is among the leading risk factors for death and disability in Nepal. 7. **Environmental and social effects** – deforestation from fuel-wood collection, time lost by women and girls collecting wood, soot-blackened homes. #### Measures (in brief) - Clean fuels: LPG, biogas and electric (induction) cooking. - Improved cook stoves with chimneys (promoted by AEPC). - Better ventilation and separate kitchens. - Solar lamps instead of kerosene lamps. - Awareness through FCHVs, schools and media. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. What does the answer say about the use of firewood as the main cooking fuel in Nepal? A. Almost no household uses firewood B. Around half of households use it, and the share is much higher in rural hills and mountains C. Only urban households use it D. It is used only for heating, not cooking Answer: B. About half of households use firewood (Census 2021), with a higher share in rural hills and mountains. (Key point: Biomass dependence) 2. Which health effect is linked to charcoal or gas heaters in closed rooms in winter? A. Cataract B. Low birth weight only C. Carbon monoxide poisoning deaths D. Arsenicosis Answer: C. Using charcoal or gas heaters in closed rooms causes CO poisoning, with winter deaths reported. (Key point: Carbon monoxide poisoning) 3. Why is the exposure to indoor smoke long in cold areas? A. Fires burn most of the day for heating and families sleep in the same room B. Women never cook in cold areas C. Chimneys are very large D. Kitchens are always outdoors Answer: A. In cold areas the fire burns most of the day for heating, so people breathe smoke for long periods. (Key point: Why exposure is long) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Indoor air pollution in Nepal and counter measures](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aindoor-air-pollution-nepal) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5 - [Indoor air pollution and Kathmandu air problems](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aindoor-air-kathmandu-health) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5 - [Water and air pollution in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Awater-air-pollution-nepal) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5 - [Inorganic water pollution in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ainorganic-water-pollution-nepal) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5 - [Air pollution: causes, effects and mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aair-pollution-causes-mitigation) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5, asked 3× - [Kathmandu air pollution and topography](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Akathmandu-air-topography) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5 ## Related in other subjects - [Indoor air pollutants and their sources](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenvironment_and_pollution_control%3Aindoor-air-pollutants-sources) — Environment and Pollution Control, chapter 3 - [Control strategies for indoor air quality](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenvironment_and_pollution_control%3Aindoor-air-control-strategies) — Environment and Pollution Control, chapter 3 - [Health impacts of indoor air pollutants](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aindoor-air-pollutants-health) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [Reducing indoor air pollutants](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aindoor-air-pollutant-reduction) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 4