London, January 9 : Biomass smoke - smoke produced by domestic
cooking and heating and wood-burning – is behind a large increase in
male deaths from respiratory diseases and heart failure, a new study has
found.

The researchers say this could have significant impact on further interventions to reduce pollution from this source.

Although
a large amount of research has been carried out on the adverse health
effects of air pollution, no studies have reported reductions in deaths
associated with interventions to reduce biomass smoke pollution.

In
2001, Launceston (in Tasmania, Australia) was the setting for a series
of interventions to reduce wood smoke pollution. The interventions
dramatically accelerated a general trend towards using electric rather
than wood heaters. As such, wood stove prevalence fell from 66 percent
to 30 percent of all households and average particulate air pollution
during winter was reduced by 40 percent (44 µg/m³ – 27 µg/m³).

Researchers
from Australia and Canada used this data to assess whether there were
any significant changes in all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory
mortality.

This is the first study to assess changes in mortality
associated with a reduction in smoke from domestic wood heaters. The
researchers compared the population of Launceston with the population of
Hobart (also in Tasmania), which did not have any air quality
interventions.

The reductions in mortality (deaths per 1000
people at risk per year, adjusted for age) between 1994-2001 and
2001-2007 were not significant for males and females combined (2.7
percent for all-cause mortality; 4.9 percent for cardiovascular
mortality; 8.5 percent respiratory mortality). However, reductions were
statistically significant for males alone: differences of 11.4 percent
for all-cause mortality; 17.9 percent for cardiovascular and 22.8
percent for respiratory.

Results taken during the winter months
(June – August) showed even higher reductions: cardiovascular 20
percent; respiratory 28 percent.

The researchers conclude that a
trend was found in reduced all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory
mortality during the period of improved air quality which was greatest
during winter with stronger associations in males.

They say that
the findings "highlight the potential for important public health gains
from interventions to reduce ambient pollution from biomass smoke".

The study was recently published on bmj. com. (ANI)