Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    They Call Her 'Queen Of Dung' — And She Doesn't Mind

    Millions of people burn animal dung for heating and cooking. To find out if the smoke can cause lung issues, researcher Claire McCarthy used some unorthodox methods.
    by Shannon Loelius Oct 18, 2018 4 minutes
    Researcher Claire McCarthy, also known as the "queen of dung," sits on a blanket with images of DNA, test tubes and beakers.

    Early one morning in the spring of 2017, Claire McCarthy started her day as many don't: rolling dried rhinoceros dung into cigarettes and packing them into a machine that smoked them.

    Although it might seem bizarre, McCarthy's purpose was serious: She wanted to know what happens when people breathe in dung smoke.

    Dung smoke is no joke. Animal dung is used by millions globally for heating and cooking.

    It's a dangerous practice. Burning biomass fuels (including animal dung as well as wood, charcoal, and plant matter) generates indoor air pollution, which caused 4 million deaths worldwide in 2012 according to the World Health Organization. Like cigarette smoke, biomass

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR4 min read
    Last-minute Candidate José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama's Presidential Election
    José Raúl Mulino was set to become the new leader of the Central American nation as authorities unofficially called the race Sunday night after his three nearest rivals conceded.
    NPR3 min read
    Floods In Southern Brazil Kill At Least 75 People Over 7 Days
    Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.
    NPR5 min readIndustries
    China Makes Cheap Electric Vehicles. Why Can't American Shoppers Buy Them?
    American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.

    Related Books & Audiobooks