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Kitchen air pollution tackled in University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research

Advice on improving indoor air quality when cooking has been published by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), aimed at occupants, builders, landlords and local councils across the globe. The advice is presented as ten general recommendations and ten, more technical, targeted recommendations.

Professor Prashant Kumar from the University of Surrey, who led the research that informed the guidelines, said:  ‘Few people think about the fumes generated by cooking meals for their family, but the associated health risks are all too real. However, simple actions can improve home health significantly. For example, opening a window, steaming rather than frying, and keeping those who aren’t actively cooking out of the kitchen can protect people from inhaling harmful toxins.’

man in black crew neck t-shirt holding stainless steel cooking pot

The research was carried out across 19 countries, studying the effects of cooking in 60 low-income homes across Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. They found that frying food resulted in more than a 50% increase in PM emissions.  

Professor Kumar again: ‘Frying is the most particle-emitting activity that can contribute to more than 50% of the total harmful fine particulate matter emissions during cooking. Using extraction fans and keeping doors and windows open during cooking can reduce exposure to harmful fumes by 2-times compared to keeping just the doors open.’

The general recommendations covers issues such as using cleaner fuels, not having other people in the kitchen unnecessarily and ventilating the room effectively. The targeted suggestions are aimed at variously, homeowners, builders and local councils and include advice such as councils subsidising the installation of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter monitors in kitchens.

Professor Kumar: ‘In the UK, housing authorities could include a safety sheet in kitchens advising on healthy and safe cooking practices and facilitate the installation of extraction fans in their properties. Architects could design kitchens with a separate but spacious area adjacent to where toddlers can be supervised during cooking without breathing fumes. In some countries, priority must be given to phasing out harmful fuels like charcoal and kerosene and subsidising cleaner cooking fuels and options.’

In December we speculated on how much cooking your Christmas dinner might affect your health

Image: Malte Helmhold

Paul Day
Paul is the editor of Public Sector News.
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