Indoor Air Quality and Emissions from Cooking Activities

Cooking activities are a major source of indoor air pollution worldwide, releasing a complex mixture of particulate matter, gases and organic compounds. Emissions vary with fuel type, cooking method, temperature and ingredients, producing fine and ultrafine particles, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many of these pollutants can form secondary organic aerosols (SOA) through chemical reactions in indoor air, further contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular risks. Residential kitchens, commercial restaurants and street-food stalls each exhibit distinct emission profiles and exposure patterns, influenced by ventilation, appliance efficiency and user behaviour. The global burden of cooking-related pollution is amplified in densely populated urban areas and in regions where biomass or unvented gas stoves are prevalent. Improved emission inventories, exposure modelling and real-time measurements are enabling policymakers and public health practitioners to devise evidence-based interventions, such as enhanced range hoods, low-emission oils and adoption of cleaner fuels, to safeguard indoor air quality and mitigate health impacts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have revealed that the use of culinary condiments such as herbs and pepper generates substantial terpene emissions during frying, with mono-, sesqui- and diterpenes contributing to significant SOA formation upon indoor oxidation. Investigations into long-term exposure to cooking oil fumes have established a clear dose–response relationship with lung cancer risk among non-smoking women, while demonstrating that consistent use of an effective extractor hood can halve this risk. Personal monitoring across diverse commercial kitchens has shown that workers at street-food carts experience the highest combined PAH and aldehyde exposures, with aldehydes accounting for the majority of estimated cancer risk, emphasising the need for targeted ventilation and protective measures in high-emission settings.

Indoor Air Quality and Emissions from Cooking Activities publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in indoor air quality and emissions from cooking activities across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic chemicals with high vapour pressures that readily evaporate and contribute to indoor air pollution.

Intermediate-volatility organic compounds (IVOCs): Compounds with lower vapour pressures than VOCs, acting as precursors to secondary organic aerosol.

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs): Organic substances that partition between gas and particulate phases, influencing indoor particle composition.

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA): Particulate matter formed by chemical reactions of gaseous precursors in the atmosphere.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs): Particles with diameters below 100 nm, capable of deep lung penetration and systemic transport.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): Fused aromatic compounds emitted during high-temperature cooking, some of which are carcinogenic.

Venting range hood: A mechanical ventilation device designed to capture and expel cooking emissions directly outdoors.

References

1. High-resolution emission inventory of full-volatility organic compounds from cooking in China during 2015–2021. Earth System Science Data (2023).
2. Formation of secondary organic aerosols from gas-phase emissions of heated cooking oils. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2017).
3. Pollutant Exposures from Natural Gas Cooking Burners: A Simulation-Based Assessment for Southern California. Environmental Health Perspectives (2013).
4. Indoor terpene emissions from cooking with herbs and pepper and their secondary organic aerosol production potential. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Impact of cooking oil fume exposure and fume extractor use on lung cancer risk in non-smoking Han Chinese women. Scientific Reports (2020).
6. Risk assessment of personal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aldehydes in three commercial cooking workplaces. Scientific Reports (2019).