, ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁ha z ard ous ▁to ▁human ▁health . ▁The ▁most ▁well ▁understood ▁of ▁these ▁subst ances ▁are ▁carbon ▁mon ox ide ▁( CO ); ▁small ▁partic ulate ▁matter ; ▁nit r ous ▁ox ide ; ▁sul fur ▁ox ides ; ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁vol atile ▁organ ic ▁comp ounds , ▁including ▁formal de hy de , ▁ben z ene ▁and ▁ 1 , 3 - but ad iene ; ▁and ▁poly cyc lic ▁a rom atic ▁comp ounds , ▁such ▁as ▁ben zo - a - py rene , ▁which ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁both ▁short ▁and ▁long ▁term ▁health ▁consequences . ▁ ▁Cook ing ▁over ▁a ▁traditional ▁open ▁fire ▁or ▁mud ▁st ove ▁can ▁cause ▁increased ▁health ▁problems ▁brought ▁on ▁from ▁the ▁smoke , ▁particularly ▁lung ▁and ▁eye ▁a il ments , ▁but ▁also ▁birth ▁defect s . ▁The ▁health ▁problems ▁associated ▁with ▁cook ing ▁using ▁bi om ass ▁in ▁traditional ▁st ov es ▁affect ▁women ▁and ▁children ▁most ▁strongly , ▁as ▁they ▁spend ▁the ▁most ▁time ▁near ▁the ▁domestic ▁hear th . ▁Rep la cing ▁the ▁traditional ▁ 3 - rock ▁cook ▁st ove ▁or ▁mud ▁st ove ▁with ▁an ▁improved ▁one ▁and ▁vent ing ▁the ▁smoke ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁house ▁through ▁a ▁chim ney ▁can ▁significantly ▁improve ▁a ▁family ' s ▁health . ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁well - document ed ▁ad verse ▁health ▁effects ▁of ▁expos ure ▁to ▁poll ut ants ▁from ▁ind oor ▁cook st ov es , ▁including ▁ac ute ▁resp ir atory