Cooking, Health, and Daily Exposure to Pollution Spikes
National Bureau of Economic Research
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Abstract: This randomized controlled trial studies the long-term health impact of pollution spikes from daily cooking in urban Kenya. Using high-frequency exposure data and stove adoption incentives among 1,000 charcoal users in Nairobi over 3.5 years, the authors find that improved cookstoves reduce short-term PM2.5 spikes by 41% during cooking hours and significantly reduce self-reported respiratory symptoms. However, the study finds no statistically significant improvements in clinical health outcomes (e.g. blood pressure, pulse oxygen), likely due to negligible changes in average daily pollution exposure. While short-term exposure is linked to symptoms, chronic conditions appear tied to ambient pollution. The study offers new causal evidence distinguishing the health impacts of pollution peaks from mean exposure, suggesting that regulatory focus solely on daily averages may understate health risks. The work also highlights limits of private action (e.g., stove adoption) in settings where ambient pollution remains high and emphasizes the need for systemic interventions to reduce urban air pollution in low-income settings.