• World's vulnerable are being polluted in

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 22:30:44
    World's vulnerable are being polluted in their own homes as they cook


    Date:
    March 16, 2022
    Source:
    University of Surrey
    Summary:
    Three-quarters of kitchens in low-income homes across 12 major
    global cities are heavily polluted by cooking emissions, according
    to new research.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Three-quarters of kitchens in low-income homes across 12 major global
    cities are heavily polluted by cooking emissions, according to research
    from the University of Surrey and its global partners.


    ==========================================================================
    The first-of-its-kind study found that poor ventilation and fuel choices
    were the most significant contributors to poor air quality in people's kitchens, but the size of the kitchen and the way food was cooked also mattered. Frying food led to particularly high levels of indoor pollution.

    Professor Prashant Kumar, Founding Director of the University of
    Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), who led the
    research published in Environment International, said: "There's a
    notable wealth divide when it comes to indoor air quality and also a
    gender divide, as women are typically disproportionately impacted by
    pollution caused by cooking, especially in the developing world. This
    problem must be addressed to improve health and equality." The highest
    average levels of pollution were found in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where
    kitchens were typically small and people cooked for prolonged periods,
    often frying food. The cleanest air was found in Medelli'n, Colombia,
    due to more space in their kitchens and the use of cleaner cooking fuels.

    The way different cuisines are typically cooked also made a difference
    to air quality in kitchens. The study found that occupants in Dhaka,
    Nanjing, Dar-es- Salaam and Nairobi spent more than 40 per cent of their cooking time frying, the cooking activity which emits most polluting
    particles. However, in Cairo, Sulaymaniyah and Akure, roughly two-thirds
    of cooking time was spent boiling or stewing, which results in fewer
    particles emitted.

    Cooking on charcoal caused the highest levels of kitchen pollution --
    more than three times the levels when using liquefied petroleum gas
    (LPG). However, the levels of pollution caused by cooking on natural
    gas were just thirty per cent lower than that of charcoal.

    A combination of natural ventilation and mechanical (for example,
    extractor fans) in Chennai, Cairo and Sulaymaniyah helped halve kitchen pollution, compared with the use of natural ventilation alone in Addis
    Ababa, Dar-es-Salam and Nairobi.

    Professor Kumar said: "Improving airflow, using cleaner fuels, filtering efficiency of cooking hoods, and frying less are all ways to reduce the pollution people breathe from cooking. Around the world, kitchens are
    often where people congregate, but these findings suggest that cooks
    should discourage family and friends from being around when they're
    cooking." The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately
    four million people die prematurely from illnesses attributed to indoor
    air pollution caused by polluting stoves operating on solid fuels and
    kerosene. Exposure to high levels of particulate matter, including
    that from cooking, has been linked to health conditions including
    heart disease, pneumonia, stroke, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Next, the research team will further analyse their findings and will
    develop guidance for reducing exposure to kitchen pollution.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Surrey. Note: Content
    may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Prashant Kumar, Sarkawt Hama, Rana Alaa Abbass, Thiago Nogueira,
    Veronika
    S. Brand, Huai-Wen Wu, Francis Olawale Abulude, Adedeji A. Adelodun,
    Partibha Anand, Maria de Fatima Andrade, William Apondo, Araya
    Asfaw, Kosar Hama Aziz, Shi-Jie Cao, Ahmed El-Gendy, Gopika
    Indu, Anderson Gwanyebit Kehbila, Matthias Ketzel, Mukesh Khare,
    Sri Harsha Kota, Tesfaye Mamo, Steve Manyozo, Jenny Martinez,
    Aonghus McNabola, Lidia Morawska, Fryad Mustafa, Adamson S. Muula,
    Samiha Nahian, Adelaide Cassia Nardocci, William Nelson, Aiwerasia
    V. Ngowi, George Njoroge, Yris Olaya, Khalid Omer, Philip Osano,
    Md Riad Sarkar Pavel, Abdus Salam, Erik Luan Costa Santos, Cynthia
    Sitati, S.M. Shiva Nagendra. In-kitchen aerosol exposure in twelve
    cities across the globe. Environment International, 2022; 162:
    107155 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107155 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220316100421.htm

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