Low-cost, long-term measures of air pollution concentrations are often needed for epidemiological studies and policy analyses of household air pollution. The Washington passive sampler (WPS), an ultra-low-cost method for measuring the long-term average levels of light-absorbing carbon (LAC) air pollution, uses digital images to measure the changes in the reflectance of a passively exposed paper filter. A prior publication on WPS reported high precision and reproducibility. Here, we deployed three methods to each of 10 households in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: one PurpleAir for PM_2.5; two ultrasonic personal aerosol samplers (UPAS) with quartz filters for the thermal-optical analysis of elemental carbon (EC); and two WPS for LAC. We compared multiple rounds of 4-week-average measurements. The analyses calibrating the LAC to the elemental carbon measurement suggest that 1 µg of EC/m³ corresponds to 62 PI/month (R² = 0.83). The EC-LAC calibration curve indicates an accuracy (root-mean-square error) of 3.1 µg of EC/m³, or ~21% of the average elemental carbon concentration. The RMSE values observed here for the WPS are comparable to the reported accuracy levels for other methods, including reference methods. Based on the precision and accuracy results shown here, as well as the increased simplicity of deployment, the WPS may merit further consideration for studying air quality in homes that use solid fuels.

Objectives: This study is aimed to investigate potential socio-economic risk factors associated with Nicotine Dependence among UB residents. It is important to identify and understand the various elements that may make people more susceptible to the negative health effects of smoking. Methods: We applied a cross-sectional study design to define the level of nicotine dependence on 875 participants. In addition, risk factors associated with nicotine dependence were assessed through a questionnaire survey. Results: Higher nicotine dependence in this study was associated with being a female (OR=1.208), older age groups (OR=1.5-2.9), divorced (OR=1.091), living in a house (OR=1.602), having a high school education level (OR=1.794), not having a regular job (OR=1.137), having a higher alcohol consumption level (OR=1.18-1.62), and age at initiation of smoking at 18 or younger (OR=1.796). Conclusion: According to the results of our research, countries with low and moderate levels of income, such as Mongolia, have a significant problem with high levels of nicotine dependence. In addition to this, it underscores the importance of developing smoking cessation programs that consider the extent of nicotine dependence while placing a greater emphasis on early interventions of the linked factors.