Biomass cookstove emissions: aerosol particle health, climate and environment

A systematic review of 187 peer-reviewed articles on biomass cookstove aerosol and particle emissions, highlighting the discrepancy between laboratory and field emission measurements and the inadequacy of current global policies in reflecting scientific evidence on particle properties.

• Biomass cookstoves are a significant source of air pollution, primarily emitting fine, organic carbon-rich particles. Approximately 25% of the global population, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries, continues to use these stoves.
• While advanced and improved cookstoves typically emit fewer particles than traditional models, the majority still remain within the World Health Organization's 'polluting' or 'transitional' categories. Furthermore, emission factors recorded in real-world field studies are consistently higher than those recorded in laboratory settings.
• Current global policies regarding cookstoves do not sufficiently incorporate scientific data on particle properties. The study argues that measuring particulate matter alone is inadequate for assessing environmental and health impacts due to gaps in knowledge regarding particle composition and fuel effects.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2025). Biomass cookstove emissions: aerosol particle health, climate and environment. https://www.sei.org/publications/biomass-cookstove-emissions-aerosol-particle-health-climate-environment/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Biomass cookstove emissions: aerosol particle health, climate and environment. 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/biomass-cookstove-emissions-aerosol-particle-health-climate-environment/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Biomass cookstove emissions: aerosol particle health, climate and environment |date=11 April 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/biomass-cookstove-emissions-aerosol-particle-health-climate-environment/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2025biomass, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Biomass cookstove emissions: aerosol particle health, climate and environment}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/biomass-cookstove-emissions-aerosol-particle-health-climate-environment/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }