| Abstract | Indoor air monitoring was carried out in Xiengnghune village, Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital City, Lao PDR using the questionnaire/interview survey for 60 households located in the village and air pollution monitoring. The study was conducted during the dry season of the year between January - February 2007 when average temperature was ranged between 18 to 25 ' c (low temperature in the year) Based on survey homes were classified into 3 groups with distinctly different type of houses, kitchen/location, cook-stove, and type of fuel used for cooking. The results found that townhouse are the most popular in the village (78.3%), followed by single houses (16.7%), restaurants (3.3%) and guesthouses (1.7%). More houses have attached kitchen (63.3%) than detached kitchen (36.7%). Most of household in the village used charcoal for cooking (80%), following by gases (13.3%), wood (3.3%) and electricity (3.3%). Source of fuel used mainly came from the market and delivery. More fuel was used in dry season than in rainy season (55%). Only some people responded that they had health symptoms due to cooking smoke (6.7%). The indoor air pollutants (fine particle matter PM2.5, Black Carbon BC and Carbon Monoxide CO) were measured in kitchen and living room over period of 24 hours in 5 selected homes to represent the 3 house types in the village including i) 2 storey townhouses with detached kitchen (home 1) and with attached kitchen (home 2), ii) 2 storey townhouses with attached kitchen (home 3) and detached kitchen (home 4) and iii) single houses or Villa (home 5). It was found that the kitchen had much higher pollution levels than the living rooms. The average PM2.5, BC and CO was the highest in Home 2. The PM2.5 ranked from home 2 at the highest (kitchen of 192 and living room of 80 u m³) to home 1, home 3, home 4 and finally home 5 had the lowest levels (50 and 28 ug/m³). In home 2 also had higher BC concentrations (kitchen of 51.2 and living room of 42.7ug/m³) and home 5 had the lowest levels (19.7 and 17.7 ug/m³). However, the levels in all homes were significantly higher than the WHO guideline for 24h PM2.55 of 25 ug/m³ implicating potential health effects. During cooking average 10 minute CO concentration was much higher both in kitchen and living rooms, especially in home 2 reaching above 12-15 ppm, but still lower than WHO guideline. The level in home 5 was much lower, 3-5 ppm. During non-cooking period average 10 minute CO concentration drops to <1-5 ppm in all homes. Thus homes with poor living conditions (home 1, home 2) and home of middle living conditions with attached kitchen had the PM2.5 levels exceeding the US EPA standard of 65 ug/m³. Therefore, indoor air pollution might had have health symptom in short term and also in long term fuel used |