Exposure characteristics and risk assessment of VOCs from Chinese residential cooking

Abstract

In comparison with various restaurant cuisines, common cooking methods are more represented in residential cooking. Rather than the exhaust pipe or the ambient environment in the cooking room, the respiration zone better reflects the health risks for operators. In this study, the concentrations of total volatile organic compound (TVOC) released from six typical cooking methods were monitored online in the respiratory zone, and the VOCs were analysed by GC-MS. The results demonstrated that the intensities of exposure to TVOC for the different cooking methods decreased as follows: stir-frying (3.809 mg/m3) > quick-frying (2.724 mg/m3) > deep-frying (2.465 mg/m3) > boiling (1.161 mg/m3)≈stewing (1.149 mg/m3) > limit in China (0.600 mg/m3) > steaming (0.440 mg/m3). The intense ventilation mode of the ventilator reduced exposure to TVOC by 45–63% relative to the medium mode. Eleven types of VOCs (approximately 200 compounds) were found in Chinese residential cooking fumes, and the predominant contaminants were aldehydes, followed by alkanes, unsaturated aldehydes, alcohols and alkenes. The mass percentage of aromatic hydrocarbons in all VOCs emitted from Chinese residential cooking was only 1%, while the value was 17–48% for commercial restaurants. The results of a health risk assessment revealed that the total potential carcinogenic risk level for VOCs released by six residential cooking methods decreased as follows: deep-frying (5.75) > stir-frying (3.95) > quick-frying (2.94) > stewing (1.99) > boiling (1.73) > steaming (1.48). Chinese residential cooking, and especially deep frying, has potential health impacts for the operator.