Health
Wood Energy Data
Data on health and wood energy are mainly qualitative. The table below gives an overview of possible health impacts during different stages of production, conversion and use of wood energy.
Health Hazards in the Woodfuel Cycle
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| ACTIVITY | HEALTH IMPACT | |
| Production | ||
| Processing dung cakes | Faecal/oral/enteric infections | |
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| Charcoal production | CO/smoke poisoning | |
| Burns/trauma | ||
| Cataracts | ||
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| Collection | ||
| Fuel gathering | Trauma | |
| Reduced infant/child care | ||
| Bites from snakes etc. | ||
| Allergic reactions | ||
| Fungus infections | ||
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| Transportation | ||
| Fuel transportation | Backache | |
| Severe fatigue | ||
| Over time: damaged reproductive organs (polapsed uterus) | ||
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| Processing | ||
| Fuel cutting | Trauma | |
| Cuts | ||
| Abrasions | ||
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| Combustion | ||
| Smoke | Conjunctivitis | |
| Acute respiratory infection (ARI) | ||
| Cor pulmonale | ||
| Adverse reproductive outcomes | ||
| Lung cancer | ||
| Higher rate of infant morbidity/mortality | ||
| Depressed immune response | ||
| Chronic obstructive lung diseases (COLD): chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma | ||
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| Toxic gasses (CO) | Acute poisoning | |
| Low birthweight | ||
| Higher rate of stillbirths | ||
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| Heat | Burns and scalds | |
| Cataracts | ||
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| Cooking position | Arthritis and related bone disease | |
| Back pain | ||
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| Source: WEN 12.1, 1997 | ||
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© FAO-RWEDP, 31/12/02