Assessment of the effect of ventilation systems on biomass emissions in local kitchens in schools: a case study of Entebbe municipality.

Abstract

According to World Health Organization, around 2.4 billion people worldwide still cook using solid fuels such as wood which generates harmful air pollution due to the dangerous emissions produced upon the combustion of firewood. Air pollution although more pronounced in lowor middle-income countries in Asia and Africa is a global challenge especially in schools in developing nations which still strongly rely on biomass energy for cooking and are characterized with poor ventilation hence poor indoor air quality. Am assessment of the effect of ventilation systems and biomass emissions in local kitchens is presented to you. This research assesses the effect of ventilation systems of school kitchens in relation to the biomass emissions associated with cooking stoves with the view of reducing the missions in kitchens through finding out which ventilation systems work best. A quantitative research methodology was employed in assessing the effect of ventilation systems on biomass emissions in local kitchens with schools of Entebbe Municipality in Uganda. The results of the assessment indicate that most schools depend on natural ventilation in their kitchens and most had only windows and flue vents. Some schools also had either Pompeii grills or wire meshes or both for ventilation. It was also indicated that most schools had high levels of emissions such as CO, PM 2.5, PM 10. These emissions are quite dangerous to peoples’ health. These emissions were found to be higher than the standards stated by WHO and NAAQS of 9ppm, 35µg/m3 and 150µg/m3 for CO, PM 2.5 and PM 10 respectively. The results also showed that the higher the ventilation percentage in relation to internal floor area and the appropriate type of ventilation systems, the less the emissions. It is concluded that the type of ventilation systems that provides safer indoor air in the school kitchens is Pompeii grills because upon assessment it brought about better ventilation percentage to internal floor area and had lower levels of emissions compared to the other type of ventilation systems.