Air Pollution in Native Huts in the Highlands of New Guinea

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Abstract
The degree of air pollution in native huts in the New Guinea Highlands has been assessed The “average” concentrations of smoke density, aldehydes, and carbon monoxide measured in the Eastern Highlands, at an altitude of 7,200 feet, were 666 μg/m3 1.08 ppm and 21.3 ppm, respectively, but these figures do not include peak values of 4,862 μg/m3, 3.8 ppm and 150 ppm which were obtained on one occasion soon after startup of the fire. Comparable “average” values in the Western Highlands, at 4,000 to 5,200 feet were 359 μg/cum, 0.67 ppm and 11.3 ppm, respectively. Smoke density was highly correlated with aldehyde concentrations in both areas, r = +0.93 and + 0.88, and with carbon monoxide, r = + 0.87 and +0.72. Air pollution may be a contributing factor in the genesis and maintenance of the prevalent nontuberculous lung disease in New Guinea highlanders.