Run, Run Its Carbon

Kerosene is a type of fuel oil used for lighting, heating and cooking. Like many fuel oils, it is derived from crude oil. Kerosene is a liquid at room temperature, but it can evaporate; therefore, people can be exposed to kerosene by getting it on their skin or by inhaling the fumes. Direct exposure to the kerosene or a byproduct of burning the kerosene, such as carbon monoxide, can produce negative health effects. These include:

Health
Smoke from kerosene lamps is responsible for respiratory infections, lung and throat cancers, serious eye infections, cataracts as well as low birth weights. Acute respiratory infections like influenza and pneumonia kill nearly 2 million children in developing nations each year,more than the annual number of all deaths at all ages from all causes in the European Union. The World Bank estimates that   780 million women and children breathing kerosene fumes inhale the equivalent of smoke from 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Shockingly, two-thirds of adult female lung-cancer victims in developing nations are
non-smokers.

Fire Danger
Kerosene and candles cause countless fire catastrophes every year. There were 282,000 deaths from fire-related burns worldwide in 1998, and 96% of these fatalities were in developing countries. In India alone, 2.5 million people (350,000 of them children) suffer severe burns each year, primarily due to overturned kerosene lamps. Each year, many homes burn to the ground when a lamp is toppled.

Barrier To Education And Production
Light from Kerosene lamps is poor and inefficient (only 2 to 4 lumens compared to a 60-watt bulb-900 lumens). Poor lighting affects literacy and education. The light from the lamps is so poor that children can only see their schoolbooks if they are almost on top of the flame, directly inhaling even more of the toxic smoke. Proper lighting can enhance the development process by enabling people to be more productive after the sun goes down.


Economic Costs
A study produced by Evan Mills (2002) found that: one kerosene lamp consumes 0.04 to 0.06 litres per hour, and the daily usage at three to four hours. 1 litre of kerosene per week x $1.00 USD= $52.00USD/year. Many households in the developing world require 2 or more kerosene lights therefore this cost can more than double. The escalating costs of providing energy drain money away from food, health services, housing, and other basic needs in poor countries.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carbon monoxide poisoning is more common among kerosene heater users than poisoning from breathing the fumes. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning's first symptoms include fatigue and possibly chest pain, followed by dizziness, nausea, confusion and lack of coordination. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal. If anyone in your house starts feeling unwell while the kerosene heater is being used, turn off the heater and move everyone in the house to a location with plenty of fresh air---outdoors if possible.