WHAT IS THE PATTERN OF EXPOSURE TO INDOOR WOOD SMOKE (IWS) IN THE WEST

Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to report on the pattern of indoor wood smoke exposure over a period of seven days. Rationale: Wood smoke exposure has been shown to increase respiratory symptoms and possibly alter epigenetic DNA patterns that can put one at risk for greater lung dysfunction. It is important to understand more specifically how wood smoke exposure patterns impact these alterations to prevent further harm. For healthcare providers to appropriately advise their patients more information is needed about what are common patterns of IWS.  Method: The sample consisted of 30 homes in the Albuquerque New Mexico area that consented to particle monitoring in their home over a seven-day period during the winter months of 2013-2014. On average the homes had 5 or more rooms (83%) than with households (60%) having 1 or 2 people as residence. An individual living in the home agreed to complete the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire, ATS Respiratory Survey and to describe the IWS pattern through question about magnitude of exposure and daily wood burning details in a diary. The majority of households report burning wood to heat there homes daily or almost daily (77%) and maintaining the stove regularly (60%) with less reporting cleaning the flume recently (50%). The majority of individuals who were completing the diary and surveys were not working full time (57%), were not currently (last month) smoking cigarettes (59%) and described themselves as in good or very good health (70%). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and nonparametric analysis. Results: In this sample 73.3% of the households use wood as their primary source of heating, and 60% burned daily or almost daily. The graph illustrates the mean burn time was 50 hours and only one household had wood burning constantly (680), with only six other households burning over 12 hours a day. However 46.7% sometimes or always smelled smoke. The majority (76.7%) had wood burning while they slept, being in the same room as the burning wood (73.4%) and no air filters present in the home (96.7%). Burning wood for parts of every day exhibited increased particle and dust trapping compared to burning 1-6 days or all day burning every day. Implications: There is considerable variation in use, quality of stove, location of stove relative to persons, length of exposure, maintenance, and self-perceived health symptoms that impact a person's overall health. The finding that burning wood for a part of everyday produces the more particles is consistent with other findings in the literature. These findings provide support that greater use of wood stoves potentially leads to greater health impacts due to more particles and dust in the air.  This knowledge encourages healthcare providers to adjust their plan of care according to the patients' IWS exposures.