Author(s) :

Ruthvik Yaparla.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Indoor air quality remains largely unregulated although people spend an average of 21.6 hours indoors daily, compared to only 2.4 hours outdoors. While ambient air pollution has been extensively studied, there is a significant gap in research on household and indoor air pollution, particularly regarding emissions from everyday cooking practices. This study explores commonly used cooking methods, their associated particulate matter (PM) emissions, their potential impacts on respiratory health, and gaps in current literature. A total of 416 unique studies were screened, with 354 excluded based on title and abstract. Sixty-two reports were sought for retrieval, and ultimately 13 studies were included in the review. The results revealed that pan-frying generated a mean PM1 concentration of 139.55 µg/ m³, while toasting produced 58.8 µg/m³. Deep-frying yielded the highest mean PM2.5 concentration at 841 µg/m³, followed by stewing, stir-frying, roasting, pan-frying, boiling, toasting, and steaming, in descending order. Similarly, deep-frying produced the highest PM10 levels (1192 µg/m³) with roasting, pan-frying and toasting also contributing substantially. Interestingly, when comparing frying and non frying methods, no statistically significant differences in emission levels were found. However, this analysis is limited by the generalization of data across regions and cooking cultures, as variations in oils and fats may influence emission profiles. Despite these limitations, this study establishes a foundational understanding of PM emissions by cooking method and their potential links to respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes, lung function, and carcinogen exposure. Further research is warranted to evaluate indoor air pollution associated with specific appliances and cooking methods, particularly emerging technologies such as air fryers.