Biomass and health

Biomass smoke is the smoke produced by burning organic material such as wood charcoal crop residues and animal wastes and is a major source of air pollution especially in rural areas where biomass is commonly used for cooking and heating. Studies have shown that the smoke generated by biomass burning has a diverse composition of gases and particulate matter including carbon monoxide nitrogen oxides volatile organic compounds and particulate matter these same pollutants have the potential to cause a variety of adverse health effects including respiratory disorders cardiovascular disease and the development of cancer.