Our man in Blantyre
Dr Sean Semple in Blantyre
Dr Sean Semple, Honorary Senior Scientist at IOM and Lecturer in Occupational Hygiene at the University of Aberdeen, has visited Blantyre, Malawi to undertake some research into the levels of smoke in homes. Working with a team at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Research Centre he has been helping collect data and train local scientists in methods of measuring Indoor Air Pollution levels for part of a wider study on the health effects of wood and charcoal smoke on respiratory health.The work is part of a major study, led by the University of Liverpool, designed to identify the potentially harmful exposures arising from fires and stoves used for cooking in Malawi. Preliminary results show that the particulate air concentrations can be very high. Sean hopes to be able to advise on practical measures that may help reduce the exposures and risks. The results of this investigation will be published in a scientific journal.