The emission of PM2.5 in respiratory zone from Chinese family cooking and its health effect

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2019-03, Vol.654, p.671-677
• Main Authors: Lu, Fengju, Shen, Boxiong, Yuan, Peng, Li, Shuhao, Sun, Yating, Mei, Xue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Annual PM2.5 inhalation exposure; Chinese ordinary family cooking; Cooking styles; Kitchen ventilation; PM2.5 emission
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.397

To investigate the PM2.5 emission in the direct exposed area from Chinese family cooking, eleven kinds of Chinese ordinary family cooking dishes were designed including frying, quick-frying, stewing, deep-frying, boiling and steaming according to the results of questionnaire survey. The results showed that the intensity sequence for PM2.5 emissions decreased as follows in general: deep-frying (0.709–2.731 mg/m3) > stir-frying (0.700–0.958 mg/m3) > stewing (~0.573 mg/m3) > quick-frying (0.140–0.433 mg/m3) > boiling (0.004–0.247 mg/m3) > steaming (0.011–0.088 mg/m3), most of them exceeded the national indoor air standard. The average concentration of PM2.5 in the direct respiratory zone from family cooking was determined to be 0.599 mg/m3, which was about 8 times higher than the national indoor air standard of China and lower than that from commercial restaurants. The annual PM2.5 inhalation exposure in the direct exposed area from family cooking for male and female was 346.30 mg/year and 309.59 mg/year, respectively. Although the annual PM2.5 inhalation exposure of male operators in general ordinary family cooking was about 11.8% higher than that of females, the pregnant women, children and the elderly are not encouraged to prepare ordinary family cooking for a long time due to their sensitive to PM2.5 emission. Selecting ventilator with high wind speed can reduce PM2.5 emission more than 65% when compared to medium wind speed. Improvement of ventilator wind speed is considered to be an effect way to reduce PM2.5 emission for cooking. [Display omitted] •PM2.5 emission in respiratory zone from Chinese family cooking•The effect of cooking dishes and cooking style on PM2.5 emission•The annual PM2.5 inhalation exposure is evaluated for Chinese family cooking.