Emission of fine organic aerosol from traditional charcoal broiling in China

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The indoor PM2.5 aerosol samples for charcoal broiling source under Chinese traditional charbroiling and the ambient fine aerosols samples (PM2.5) were collected in Beijing to investigate the characteristics of the charcoal broiling source and its impact on the fine organic aerosols in the atmosphere. The concentrations of 20 species of the trace organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fatty acids, levoglucosan, and cholesterol in PM2.5 were identified and quantified by GC/MS. The total PAHs and fatty acids emitted from charcoal broiling to PM2.5 were 8.97 and 87,000 ng mg−1 respectively. The concentrations of the light molecular weight (LMW) 3- and 4-ring PAHs were much higher than those of the high molecular weight (HMW) 5- and 6-ring PAHs. Fatty acids were the most abundant species in source profile, accounting for over 90% of all identified organic compounds. More polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acids) than the saturated fatty acid (stearic acids) emitted in the cooking. Charcoal broiling is a minor source of PAHs compared to the source of biomass burning. Comparing the ratios of levoglucosan/fatty acid and levoglucosan/cholesterol in the charcoal broiling samples to the ambient samples, it is evident that meat cooking is an important source of fatty acids, but a less important source of cholesterol. Cooking, as one of the source of fine organic particles, plus other anthropogenic sources would be related to the formation of the severe haze occurred and spread over the urban atmosphere in most of the cities of China in the past several years.