Assessment of Particulate Matter Emissions from Biomass Burning for Domestic Cooking in Rural Kebbi State

This study assesses particulate matter emissions from biomass combustion for domestic cooking in rural households of Kebbi State, North West Nigeria, examining the contribution of traditional cooking practices to indoor and ambient air pollution and associated health implications. The vast majority of rural households in Kebbi State rely on firewood and agricultural residues as primary cooking fuels, and incomplete combustion of these biomass fuels generates fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that are linked to acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. PM2.5 concentrations were measured in the indoor kitchen environment and in outdoor ambient air at fifty rural households across Argungu, Bunza, and Ngaski Local Government Areas, using battery-powered optical particle counters during morning cooking periods. Fuel consumption was weighed per cooking session to calculate emission factors. Health surveys recorded respiratory symptom prevalence among adult women and children under five. Results show indoor PM2.5 concentrations during cooking peak at 480 to 1,200 micrograms per cubic metre, exceeding the WHO twenty-four-hour guideline by more than thirty times. Outdoor concentrations near kitchen doorways reach 150 to 340 micrograms per cubic metre, indicating community-level air quality impacts. Respiratory symptom prevalence among cooking women is significantly higher than in a reference group using improved cookstoves. The study recommends rapid scaling of improved cookstove distribution programmes in Kebbi State in collaboration with federal energy transition initiatives. Keywords: biomass burning, indoor air pollution, PM2.5, cookstove, Kebbi State.