AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
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Initial Evaluation of a Heating Stove Changeout Program in the Navajo Nation Featuring a Culturally-Appropriate Wood/Coal Stove
Naomi Chang, Tennille Denetdeel, Jeri Garfield, Sky Izzo, Michael King, Chris Yazzie, Mark Bauer, Paul Solomon, Kathleen Stewart, LUPITA MONTOYA, University of Colorado Boulder
Abstract Number: 663 Working Group: Biomass Combustion: Emissions, Chemistry, Air Quality, Climate, and Human Health
Abstract Many Navajo households rely on wood and coal for residential heating, using old, inefficient, and polluting heating stoves. A study by Bunnell et al. (2010) reported higher rates of hospitalization due to respiratory conditions during the winter relative to summer in the Shiprock Chapter, likely due to these heating practices. Using a new framework that integrated community perception, culture, and science, Champion et al. (2017) determined that the most effective and culturally-appropriate heating option for this community would be a new dual-fuel (wood/coal) heating stove. Such “Navajo Stove” was subsequently designed, USEPA-certified, and included in a stove changeout program taking place in portions of the Navajo Nation. The stove changeout program – with $4.7 million in funding – started in 2018 and will occur over 5 years in seven Chapters of the Navajo Nation, including Shiprock. Households with elders, children, veterans, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular health conditions are prioritized.
A research study was designed to assess changes in indoor air quality and respiratory health symptoms of participants in this stove changeout program. To participate in the research study, households requesting a Navajo Stove were recruited through referrals from program coordinators. A First Pilot Study was conducted during the heating season (March-April) of 2018 in Shiprock, NM. Initial results of this Pilot Study, as well as results of a correction factor study for wood/coal smoke will be presented.
References: [1] Bunnell J.E., Garcia L.V., Furst J.M., Lerch H., Olea R.A., Suitt S.E., Kolker A. 2010. “Navajo coal combustion and respiratory health near Shiprock, New Mexico”, Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 260525. [2] Champion W.M., Charley P.H., Klein B., Stewart K., Solomon P.A., Montoya L.D. 2017. “Perception, culture, and science: A framework to identify in-home heating options to improve indoor air quality in the Navajo Nation”, Science of the Total Environment, 580:297-306.