Lung Deposition of Biomass Smoke in Women, Children, and COPD Cases in Rural India: MPPD Modelling Insights

Biomass smoke exposure in rural Indian kitchens presents a significant health risk, disproportionately affecting women and children who spend long hours near cookstoves. This study applied the Multiple-Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model to simulate the deposition of PM2.5 from biomass cooking emissions across different kitchen and cookstove configurations, focusing on women, children, and women with pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Model inputs were derived from field-measured particle concentrations. Simulations showed that in healthy adult women, approximately 40-45% of inhaled particles deposited in the head region, 20-30% in the tracheobronchial region, and 25-35% in the pulmonary/alveolar region. In children, deposition doses were at least two-fold higher than in women under similar conditions, reflecting higher inhalation rates relative to body weight and narrower airway dimensions. Women with COPD exhibited substantially greater pulmonary deposition, with predicted alveolar region burdens 20–30% higher than their healthy counterparts. This suggests impaired clearance and deeper particle penetration, compounding the risks of chronic respiratory illness. Across kitchen types, separate kitchens with traditional cookstoves posed the greatest hazard, with predicted lung deposition up to three times higher than in open kitchens or improved stove settings. By integrating field exposure measurements with lung dosimetry modelling, this study demonstrates how biomass smoke emissions translate into differential respiratory burdens for vulnerable groups. Children and women with COPD bear the heaviest load, heightening risks of pneumonia, asthma, and disease progression. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted clean cooking interventions, improved ventilation, introduction of air pollution control technologies and prioritisation of high-risk populations to reduce the health impacts of biomass smoke in rural communities.