A new 麻豆直播-led paper published in has called for action to reduce the burning of plastics for heating and cooking, a common yet hazardous practice emerging in millions of households in developing nations due to a lack of traditional energy sources.
Researchers investigated the energy consumption of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, finding many were unable to afford clean fuels such as gas or electricity.
The team also found urban sprawl had made traditional fuels such as wood and charcoal difficult to find, while a lack of waste management meant plastic waste was in abundance.
Lead researcher , from the (CIET) said there were many risks involved.
鈥淏urning plastic releases harmful chemicals such as dioxins, furans and heavy metals into the air, which can have a range of health and welfare impacts such as lung diseases,鈥� Dr Bharadwaj said.
鈥淭hese risks are particularly pronounced among women and children, as they spend more time at home.
鈥淏ut the pollution doesn鈥檛 just stay in households who burn it: it spreads across neighbourhoods and cities, affecting everyone.鈥�
Dr Bharadwaj said the issue may affect millions of people who bear the burden of acute inequality in cities and could potentially have a bigger impact as plastic use increases and cities grow.
鈥淚n a survey, 13 per cent of Nigerian households reported using garbage as a cooking fuel, while soil and food samples in Indonesia have revealed dangerous toxin levels linked to burning plastic,鈥� Dr Bharadwaj said.
鈥淏y 2050, two-thirds of the world鈥檚 population will live in urban areas and many cities already struggle to provide basic services such as waste collection.
鈥淭his will be a growing problem, given global plastic consumption is expected to triple by 2060 and inequality will deepen with rapid, unmanaged urbanisation in developing countries.鈥�
CIET Director said further research was needed to determine the extent of the issue and develop realistic solutions.
鈥淢any governments are not addressing the issue effectively because it鈥檚 usually concentrated in areas such as slums, which are often neglected,鈥� Professor Ashworth said.
鈥淎 ban on plastic burning might not help if people have no other option to keep warm and cook their food.
鈥淧ossible ways to address the problem include subsidies for cleaner fuels to make them affordable for poorer families, better waste management to prevent plastic from piling up in slum areas, education campaigns to inform communities about the dangers of burning plastic and alternative low-cost, innovative cooking solutions tailored to lower-income areas.鈥�
鈥�The Use of Plastic as a Household Fuel among the Urban Poor in the Global South鈥� was published in .
