Citation

Tadevosyan A, Mikulski MA, Baber Wallis A, Rubenstein L, Abrahamyan S, Arestakesyan L, Hovsepyan M, Reynolds SJ, Fuortes LJ. Indoor Air 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/ina.12623

PMID

31724228

Abstract

Lavash is a traditional flat bread commonly baked at home by women in Armenia and other Middle Eastern and Caucasus countries. The baking process follows centuries' old recipes and is done primarily in open-fire ovens. Data are limited regarding the impact of baking on indoor air quality and health outcomes. This study aimed at assessing the effects of lavash baking on household air pollution and cardiovascular outcomes among women who bake lavash in rural Armenia. A convenience sample of 98 bakers, all women, never-smokers, representing 36 households were enrolled. Carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels were monitored before, during, and/or after baking. As expected, exposure to concentrations of CO peaking at/or above 35-ppm during baking were more likely to occur in homes with fully enclosed and poorly ventilated baking rooms, compared to those with three or fewer walls and/or one or more windows. Bakers in homes where CO concentrations peaked at/or above 35-ppm were more likely to have an increase in post-baking COHb levels compared to those in homes with lower CO concentrations.

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Indoor air quality; carbon monoxide; carboxyhemoglobin; lavash; open-fire ovens; ventilation