Scientific study finds better health in households using improved cookstoves in Rwanda
Fine dust reduction during cooking improves lung health of women in Africa
image:
During the study in Rwanda, researchers from TROPOS used mobile measuring devices to measure air pollution with particulate matter (PM2.5) and its toxic components such as soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and found significant differences in pollution levels between cooking with traditional and modern stoves.
view moreCredit: Leizel Madueno / Andrea Cuesta, TROPOS
Berlin/Leipzig. Efficient stoves not only reduce CO₂ emissions and conserve valuable resources, but their use also leads to better indoor air quality and potentially reduces health risks, especially for women. This is shown in a study conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Buana e.V., and Safer Rwanda, which has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports from the Nature Portfolio. The study compares air quality and health effects of efficient stoves and traditional cooking methods in rural communities in Rwanda. It was supported by atmosfair, a German non-profit organization supporting offsetting of CO₂ with projects such as the production and distribution of improved cookstoves. The study was funded by Chiesi Onlus Foundation.
The three-year randomized controlled trial involved over 1,000 adults in rural areas of Rwanda. Researchers compared health outcomes between households using traditional cooking methods and those adopting the Save 80 improved cookstove. Participants underwent two rounds of assessment, including health questionnaires and lung function tests. In addition, researchers measured household air pollution levels, focusing on harmful particles, i.e., particulate matter (PM2.5) and its toxic components such as black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
The research team showed that adult women using the Save 80 cookstove spent less time cooking (avg. reduction of 34%) and breathed far cleaner air compared to households using traditional cooking techniques, with indoor fine particle levels dropping by 77%. Black carbon and brown carbon, which are harmful pollutants linked to respiratory disease, also decreased by up to 50% and 78%, respectively.
Users of Save 80 stoves reported fewer respiratory symptoms, like persistent cough and mucus production, and showed slower declines in lung function over time compared to those using traditional cooking methods. “Our findings underscore the significant impact of clean cooking, particularly on women, who bear the burden of household air pollution through daily cooking activities,” says Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, researcher from the Atmospheric Microphysics Department at TROPOS.
Around 2.3 billion people in the world use unsafe and polluting cooking methods like open fires or rudimentary stoves, exposing families to unsafe levels of smoke and particulate matter. This indoor air pollution is a significant contributor to respiratory diseases in adults and children. “Household air pollution is a silent killer in many low-income settings”, says Dr. Henning Kothe from Buana e.V., who supervised the health assessment component of the research project.
The findings of this study may support broader adoption of cleaner cooking solutions in Rwanda and similar settings. The study provides a valuable resource for policymakers and global health advocates seeking effective strategies to combat household air pollution. “This was a unique opportunity to measure the health effects of a defined exposure. This is an important step in our research and will also help to better understand the effect of air pollution on health in other regions”, says Prof. Dr. Mira Pöhlker, head of the Atmospheric Microphysics Department at TROPOS, who supervised the air pollution measurements.
"I am very pleased with these results. The study shows that our stove projects not only protect the climate but also help to improve living conditions in our project countries," said atmosfair CEO Dietrich Brockhagen. atmosfair is strongly committed to the introduction of cleaner cooking solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with own production plants and distribution networks in Nigeria and Rwanda. As a climate protection organization, its main focus is on reducing CO₂ emissions, which is ensured among other approaches through stove constructions that consume 80% less wood for cooking than traditional methods. At the same time, atmosfair projects are designed to support social, health and economic development in countries of the Global South where people suffer the most from climate change.
The full study is published in Scientific Reports from Nature Portfolio (doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09863-6).
During the study in Rwanda, researchers from TROPOS used mobile measuring devices to measure air pollution with particulate matter (PM2.5) and its toxic components such as soot and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and found significant differences in pollution levels between cooking with traditional and modern stoves.
Credit
Leizel Madueno / Andrea Cuesta, TROPOS
The research team showed that adult women using the Save 80 cookstove spent less time cooking (avg. reduction of 34%) and breathed far cleaner air compared to households using traditional cooking techniques, with indoor fine particle levels dropping by 77%.
Credit
atmosfair
More efficient stoves improve indoor air quality and potentially reduce health risks, especially for women. This is shown by a study conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Buana e.V. and Safer Rwanda, which has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports, part of the Nature portfolio.
Credit
Leizel Madueno / Andrea Cuesta, TROPOS
More efficient stoves improve indoor air quality and potentially reduce health risks, especially for women. This is shown by a study conducted by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Buana e.V. and Safer Rwanda, which has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports, part of the Nature portfolio.
Credit
Leizel Madueno / Andrea Cuesta, TROPOS
Journal
Scientific Reports
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
mproved cookstoves enhance household air quality and respiratory health in rural Rwanda
Article Publication Date
18-Jul-2025
COI Statement
Henning Kothe worked at Buana e.V (co-funding). Allan Mubiru was an employee of atmosfair gGmbH (co-production and distribution of stoves type Save80 in Rwanda) during the realization of the study.
Pusan National University researchers investigate how air pollution triggers immune imbalance and lung damage
Chronic exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 activates oxidative stress and NRF2, driving allergy-like lung inflammation
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Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 triggers oxidative stress and activates the NRF2 pathway, shifting the immune response toward TH2 inflammation—worsening asthma and other allergic lung diseases.
view moreCredit: Professor Changwan Hong from Pusan National University, Korea
Air pollution is a global health concern, with over 90% of the world’s population breathing air that exceeds World Health Organization safety standards. Fine and coarse particulate matter are especially dangerous, as they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. While the link between air pollution and respiratory diseases is well established, how these pollutants disrupt immune responses in the lungs has remained unclear.
In a recent study, a team of researchers led by Professor Changwan Hong from Pusan National University School of Medicine, South Korea, investigated how long-term exposure to particulate matter triggers immune imbalance in the lungs. “Our study reveals how chronic exposure to particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) triggers harmful allergic-like (TH2) immune responses in the lungs by activating oxidative stress and the NRF2 pathway,” explains Prof. Hong. This paper was made available online on 8 April 2025 and was published in Volume 82 of Redox Biology on 1 May 2025.
Using a mouse model, the researchers exposed mice to PM10 and PM2.5 daily for 16 weeks. They then analysed lung tissue, plasma, and immune cell profiles to evaluate how particulate matter affected lung health and immune function. Mice exposed to PM showed significant signs of lung inflammation, including alveolar wall thickening, immune cell infiltration, and tissue scarring. These effects were more severe in the group exposed to PM2.5, which is known to reach deeper areas of the lungs.
The researchers also observed a marked shift in immune response. TH1-type immune activity, associated with protective responses, was suppressed, while TH2-associated signals increased. This included elevated levels of cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and higher levels of IgE and IgG1, antibodies linked to asthma and allergic inflammation. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to PM skews immune balance toward an allergic-type response.
This immune shift was closely linked to activation of the NRF2 pathway, a key regulator of oxidative stress. NRF2 typically protects against environmental damage, but under chronic activation, it appeared to worsen inflammation. “This mechanistic link explains why air pollution can worsen asthma and other allergic diseases, identifying NRF2 as a key driver of this shift,” Prof. Hong notes.
The study offers insight into how chronic air pollution affects respiratory health at a molecular level. By linking NRF2 activation to immune reprogramming, the findings highlight new potential therapeutic targets, such as antioxidants or drugs that regulate NRF2 activity.
“Our findings suggest that targeting oxidative stress or modulating NRF2 activity could be a new strategy to treat or prevent pollution-induced allergic inflammation, such as asthma,” says Prof. Hong.
Overall, the research provides a clearer understanding of how pollution impacts the immune system and supports the need for stronger air quality regulations to protect vulnerable populations.
***
Reference
Title of original paper: Particulate matter exposure induces pulmonary TH2 responses and oxidative stress-mediated NRF2 activation in mice
Journal: Redox Biology
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103632
About Pusan National University
Pusan National University, located in Busan, South Korea, was founded in 1946 and is now the No. 1 national university of South Korea in research and educational competency. The multi-campus university also has other smaller campuses in Yangsan, Miryang, and Ami. The university prides itself on the principles of truth, freedom, and service and has approximately 30,000 students, 1,200 professors, and 750 faculty members. The university comprises 14 colleges (schools) and one independent division, with 103 departments in all.
Website: https://www.pusan.ac.kr/eng/Main.do
About the author
Prof. Changwan Hong is a Professor of Anatomy and Vice Dean of Research at Pusan National University School of Medicine in South Korea. His group focuses on immune regulation, cytokine, T cell immunity and CAR-T immunotherapy. Prof. Hong earned his PhD in immunology from Korea University in 2007 and received postdoctoral training in cellular immunology at the NIH and Stanford University. An expert in T cell development and cytokine biology, he has authored numerous scientific publications and is dedicated to translating immunological research into improved public health outcomes.
Lab:
ORCID ID:
0000-0003-2567-2973
Journal
Redox Biology
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
Particulate matter exposure induces pulmonary TH2 responses and oxidative stress-mediated NRF2 activation in mice
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