Indoor Air Pollution from Biomass Cooking Fuels and Lung Cancer Risk in Indian Women: Economic and Health Implications
1
public health, mes academy of medical sciences, PERINTHALMANNA, India
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
While tobacco smoking remains the primary risk factor for lung cancer globally, indoor air pollution from domestic cooking fuels represents a significant yet underrecognized environmental health hazard, particularly affecting women in low and middle income countries. This study examines the economic and health burden of biomass fuel exposure as a risk factor for lung cancer among Indian women, providing evidence for clean energy transition policies.
METHODS:
We conducted a hospital based case control study with 67 women diagnosed with histologically confirmed lung cancer and 46 female controls with nonmalignant respiratory diseases. Using structured questionnaires, we assessed lifetime exposure to various cooking fuel types including biomass fuels (wood, dung, crop residues), liquefied petroleum gas, and mixed fuel combinations. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to quantify the association between fuel type exposure and lung cancer risk.
RESULTS:
Among lung cancer cases, 74.6% were nonsmokers (n=50), with adenocarcinoma being the predominant histological type (38.8%). Tobacco smoking showed the highest risk (OR=4.87, 95% CI 1.34 to 17.76). Critically, among nonsmoking women, biomass fuel exposure demonstrated substantial lung cancer risk (OR=5.33, 95% CI 1.7 to 16.7), while mixed fuel use showed lower but significant risk (OR=3.04, 95% CI 1.1 to 8.38). These findings suggest that biomass fuel combustion contributes comparable cancer risk to tobacco exposure in this population.
CONCLUSIONS:
Indoor air pollution from biomass cooking fuels represents a major, modifiable environmental health risk factor for lung cancer in Indian women. These findings have critical implications for environmental health policy and energy economics, supporting accelerated clean cooking fuel transitions. The health co-benefits of moving from biomass to clean fuels could significantly reduce lung cancer burden while advancing sustainable development goals. Cost effectiveness analyses of clean cooking interventions should incorporate these substantial health benefits in policy planning.
While tobacco smoking remains the primary risk factor for lung cancer globally, indoor air pollution from domestic cooking fuels represents a significant yet underrecognized environmental health hazard, particularly affecting women in low and middle income countries. This study examines the economic and health burden of biomass fuel exposure as a risk factor for lung cancer among Indian women, providing evidence for clean energy transition policies.
METHODS:
We conducted a hospital based case control study with 67 women diagnosed with histologically confirmed lung cancer and 46 female controls with nonmalignant respiratory diseases. Using structured questionnaires, we assessed lifetime exposure to various cooking fuel types including biomass fuels (wood, dung, crop residues), liquefied petroleum gas, and mixed fuel combinations. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to quantify the association between fuel type exposure and lung cancer risk.
RESULTS:
Among lung cancer cases, 74.6% were nonsmokers (n=50), with adenocarcinoma being the predominant histological type (38.8%). Tobacco smoking showed the highest risk (OR=4.87, 95% CI 1.34 to 17.76). Critically, among nonsmoking women, biomass fuel exposure demonstrated substantial lung cancer risk (OR=5.33, 95% CI 1.7 to 16.7), while mixed fuel use showed lower but significant risk (OR=3.04, 95% CI 1.1 to 8.38). These findings suggest that biomass fuel combustion contributes comparable cancer risk to tobacco exposure in this population.
CONCLUSIONS:
Indoor air pollution from biomass cooking fuels represents a major, modifiable environmental health risk factor for lung cancer in Indian women. These findings have critical implications for environmental health policy and energy economics, supporting accelerated clean cooking fuel transitions. The health co-benefits of moving from biomass to clean fuels could significantly reduce lung cancer burden while advancing sustainable development goals. Cost effectiveness analyses of clean cooking interventions should incorporate these substantial health benefits in policy planning.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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