By Henry Owino
Nairobi, Kenya: Most people tend to think air pollution only affects the outdoor environment due to its complex mixture of pollutants from natural and anthropogenic sources. Surprisingly, indoor air can also be extremely polluted and unhealthy for humans.
Outdoor pollutants sources include; transportation, power generation, industrial activity, biomass burning, domestic heating and cooking. Indoor air pollution is not limited to; kerosene, wood, charcoal used for cooking and lighting, vapors, mold, mildew, chemicals used in certain furniture paints and cleaners which affects well-being as well.
Research study on air pollution released by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) sometime back in May 2024, indicates households in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, leads in poor air quality. The survey affirms that nearly 1 out of 10 households in Nairobi had air pollution levels that would cause a carbon monoxide alarm grounded to European standards.
The worst areas cited included informal settlements where most residents use kerosene, charcoal, wood fuels and even unclean gas as a source of energy for lighting and cooking. These energy sources pollute indoor air before moving to the outdoor environment.
The study was conducted by researchers from KEMRI, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) of the United Kingdom, Stockholm Environmental Institute, and the University of Stirling which affirmed the report outcome.
Air Quality Expert Explanations
Dr. George Mwaniki, Head of Air Quality at the World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, explains particles are defined by diameter size known as particulate matter (PM) for air quality regulatory purposes. Those with a diameter of 10 microns or less PM10 are inhalable into the lungs and can induce adverse health effects.
“PM2.5 particulate matter, are tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing severe health risks,” Dr Mwaniki explained. Adding, that 70 percent of the health impact from air pollution comes from exposure to these small particles, with the remaining 30 percent from gas-phase and larger particles.”
“So, fine PM are particles with 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter (PM2.5). Therefore, PM2.5 comprises a portion of PM10,” Dr. Mwaniki clarifies.
Dr. Mwaniki reveals there are efforts to reduce the annual limit of PM2.5 from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³. The WHO guideline value recommends breathable particulate matter should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic metre (5µg/m³). Countries are being rallied towards realizing 2.5PM as safer air quality standards, and there is an urgent need to reverse the trend.
The EU works to strengthen air quality standards to reduce the number of early deaths and related diseases caused by air pollution. The standards are regularly revised covering a host of air-polluting substances and more closely aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines
Member States are always given two years after the agreement to put into force to transpose the new directive into national law. However, requests to postpone the deadline for reaching the limit values are allowed, if it is not achievable due to certain circumstances.
Citizens have the right to claim compensation if their health is damaged due to a violation of the air quality rules. Consequently, PM2.5 may cause considerable burden on health from acute carbon monoxide exposure and carbon monoxide poisoning. Houses without or poorly ventilated are highly susceptible to such incidents.
“Again, prolonged or regular exposure to carbon monoxide concentration within the house may cause chronic health effects. Particularly there are adverse health effects which have been reported primarily in infants, children, and older adults with pre-existing heart or lung diseases,” Dr Mwaniki cautions.
Additionally, chronic carbon monoxide concentrations indoors (dirty air) have been associated with preterm infants, stillbirths, low birth weight in pregnant mothers and have neurodevelopmental impacts on children. The health risks of indoor air pollution affect people of all genders and ages such as respiratory tract infections others are outright visible.
“Let me emphasize here that indoor air pollution has got harmful effects on human health regardless of gender and age. It is even worse to children under 5 years and people with underlying health conditions,” Dr. Mwaniki cautions.
According to the WHO data, air pollution is responsible for 8 million deaths annually, with 4.2 million attributed to outdoor pollution and 3.8 million caused by indoor pollution. It is estimated over 99 percent of the global population are now exposed to harmful air.
Fact Finding Mission
Talk Africa Senior Investigative Correspondent went out on the ground to various urban informal settlements within Nairobi to assess the situation and also find out reasons behind indoor poor air quality. True to the research study, many urban households or living quarters sampled out, several use non-renewable sources of energy as fuel for cooking and lighting.
Majority of residents are low-income earners, informal employees, earning peanut wages thus surviving from hand to mouth without a proper budget plan. The residents make up numbers of the global population living below a dollar per day.
Currently, the World Bank estimates 8.5 percent of the global population, almost 700 million people live today on less than $2.15 per day, the extreme poverty line relevant for low-income countries. Three-quarters of all people in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan Africa or in fragile and conflict-affected countries.
So, residents in these 7 informal estates in Nairobi, Kenya are individuals who lack financial resources and essential standard of living in urban areas, especially Kenya’s capital city hence poverty-stricken residence. Poverty line is also based on the value of the poorest countries’ purchasing power parity (PPP) in relation to inflation and the rising cost of necessities.
Nairobi informal dwellers qualify this definition as the majority live from hand to mouth and cannot afford the cost of basic necessities. Residents rely on kerosene, charcoal or firewood fuel as main sources of energy for cooking and lighting. Very few individuals use clean and renewable energy sources such as LPG gas.
Personal Experiences
Peninah Nyambura is a single mother of three and resides in Mathare estate in a 10 by 10 feet makeshift mud-walled structure. Her shack has no window apart from the door which means leaving the electric light bulb on for 24/7, is out of the question to illuminate the house.
To make matters worse, her doorway had black heavy velvet drapes allowing insufficient light with little exchange of outdoor air. This not only darkens the room but also blocks natural free air circulation hence compromises air quality.
Most houses in slum areas have small room spaces, nonetheless arranged for versatile options with ultimate multipurpose functionality thus; living-room, kitchen, bedroom, dining-room, store, and few with retail shops.
Nyambura puts a portable urinal bucket inside the house next to the door serving as an emergency lavatory for convenience and safety to household members late in the night. This too contributes to strong, pungent odor.
“Our ‘houses’ are makeshift structures just to shelter us from bad weather, danger, or attack but not worth it for human-beings to live in. Poverty levels and our income forces us here, we have no options,” Nyambura regrets.
“My monthly rent is Ksh 2000 but I still struggle to pay it on time. A few structure- owners understand our shortcomings when we delay but again, it depends on the tenant’s arrears. Otherwise, structure- owners usually pressurize tenants to pay up by either removing one or two iron sheets from the roof, or removing the door. Locking doors is rare,” she describes.
Nyambura admits urban informal residents are vulnerable to poor air quality because of poverty. Majority of slum dwellers depend on firewood, kerosine and charcoal fuels which are more affordable and locally available compared to LPG gas fuel.
Although there is KOKO gas, clean ethanol cooking fuel as an alternative source of energy for cooking, it is not easily accessible at now.
“I have trained my three children on risks of burning charcoal indoors and they are conversant with hazards. They always remind me to remove jiko (charcoal stove) outside house ones done with it and put off charcoal immediately using water,” Nyambura explains.
Health Risks of Indoor Pollutants
Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon (short term) after exposure or, possibly, years later (long term). Health concerns may vary with an individual’s immunity.
Nyambura and family members have been complaining of frequent ailments; sneezing, coughing, nasal congestion, headaches, unusual fatigue more often. Outright observation reveals dry skin, red watery eyes with runny nose owing to the effects of stale air in the room.
For Nyambura to support her daughter’s health condition, she had to illegally connect geothermal energy distributed by Kenya Power and Lighting Company to her house. She is not the only tenant with such a source of energy, almost all dwellers are illegally connected to the electricity.
“Our KPLC connections are mostly used for lighting, cooking, ironing among other businesses. We pay a Ksh 300 monthly to ‘owners’ regardless of consumption. So, with this, we reduce pollution in our houses,” Nyambura reveals.
Samson Odhiambo, a resident of Kayole , admits that his third born daughter Christine aged 12 years, suffers from some eye infections related to smoke emission from kerosene fuel. His 10 square feet mabati (iron sheet) structure gets extremely hot during the day and cold at night just uncomfortable for health.
Odhiambo, 36 years old says his daughter developed bloodshot eyes due to continuous exposure to subsequent amounts of kerosene fumes from the stove. During this media interview, Christine was in Grade 6 preparing for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), an examination that marks the end of primary school for Grade 6 learners.
“We cook with kerosene or charcoal fuel and my daughter is in charge of cooking and I think it could be the cause of the itching since developed bloodshot (conjunctivitis). I am really worried about her future eyes visibility as I ponder on alternative fuel energy,” Odhiambo says.
Hospital Health Records
Over 60% of the 3,000 patients seen daily at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi suffer from upper respiratory tract diseases, according to the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer Martin Wafula.
“Out of approximately 3000 patients we receive daily, 60% suffer from respiratory related issues, the majority being children below 5 years, and women. This could be because the majority of women spend most of their time on fire cooking while children have faster breathing rates than adults hence breathing more smoke according to the International Energy Agency,” Dr Wafula regrets.
Consequently, indoor air pollution inhalation by women and children results in more children and women dying prematurely. Others include preterm births, stillbirths or give births to babies with deformities.
With the installation of Air Quality Monitoring Sensors, the hospital is currently able to detect levels of air pollution and patients’ infection pollutants. Doctors are able to determine interactions between air pollution exposure and respiratory infections.
“In other words, the monitor sensors correlate respiratory infections with specific pollutants. That way physicians are capable of determining precise intervention to the patients of particular groups or populations,” Dr Wafula clarifies.
The County Government Referral hospital serves residents of Nairobi’s populous Eastlands thus; Embakasi, Kayole, Dandora, Umoja, Komarock and Kangundo road which are mainly informal settlements.
Dr. Wafula said the hospital is working with Community Health Promoters to educate residents concerning indoor air pollution. Preventive measures, use of alternative affordable clean fuels and ensuring proper ventilations freeing air circulations.
