Mmost of us would spend more two thirds of our lives at home. But even inside the house, Many people Will still be exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution – much of it resulting from cooking.
Food that is burnt, fried or braised during cooking can produce tiny particles called particulate matter (PM 2.5). Even food debris that builds up in the oven or on the hob produces fine particles when it burns. research Turns out that if you drive through India’s polluted capital of New Delhi, you could be exposed to nearly three times as much particulate matter while preparing a roast dinner.
When inhaled, these particles can affects the heart and lungs, worsening asthma symptoms and reducing lung function and contributing to airway irritation, and increasing the risk of heart attack. In 2019, roughly 2.3 million deaths were due to long-term exposure to household air pollution around the world.
Many countries are retrofitting their housing stock in a way reduce carbon emissions, For example, the Irish government has pledged remodel half a million homes by the end of the decade. Retrofitting homes gives millions of people the opportunity to have both. Improving indoor air quality and reducing energy use,
However, since retrofitting makes homes more airtight, ventilation needs to be properly managed and cannot rely solely on air leaking into the building to reduce concentrations of air pollutants. Without proper ventilation, pollutants generated during cooking can be prevented from escaping in the atmosphere.
Homes in Western Europe have long relied on natural ventilation, so the move to airtight homes required some life adjustments from their occupants.
ventilating our homes
As part of retrofitting, homes will often have mechanical ventilation systems installed. It could be as simple as the cooker hood in the kitchen or the exhaust fan in the bathroom. But instead some homes will be equipped with a full service heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that takes in and cleans outside air before cooling or heating it.
A cooker hood is a canopy that covers the cooking area with a built-in fan, sucking air through a series of filters before expelling it. Using your cooker hood is one of the most effective ways to reduce your exposure to particles while cooking. research Turns out that cooking with a hood can expose you to about 90% less PM2.5 than without exhaust.
However, user behavior can limit their effectiveness and the ventilation system’s ability to function correctly.
risks remain
last year, we Survey 14 Irish homes that were retrofitted at least 12 months ago. We’ve found that cooker hoods that meet the proper regulations are still often not used as intended.
We also found that half of the homeowners surveyed did not understand how to use their ventilation systems properly. He said the main reason for this was a poor handover process, with knowledge on how to operate these systems considered insufficient.
Our study revealed that 70% of homeowners surveyed were unaware of how to maintain their home’s ventilation system to ensure it continues to work effectively. Lack of maintenance can make a ventilation system noisy and reduce people’s desire to use it.
Most homeowners were unaware of the sources and health risks of indoor particulate matter exposure and how it was related to cooking. it’s a concern of long time occupants need better info About the risks of indoor air pollution.
How to reduce your risk when cooking
However, there are several simple tips people should follow to reduce their exposure to poor air quality when cooking.
Food residues that are stuck on the stove will start to burn as soon as the hob is on, As soon as you start cooking, your exposure to airborne particles will increase.
So, if you have a cooker hood, turn it on before cooking and let it run for 10-15 minutes after turning it off. This way, the concentration of particulate matter is unlikely to rise to unsafe levels and will be quickly destroyed after cooking.
Cooker hoods remove particulates from the rear rings of the hob more easily than from the front rings, where more pollutants can escape into the room. Therefore using a back burner or cooker ring is an effective way to reduce exposure to harmful indoor air pollutants.
You can also connect your cooker hood with PM2.5 sensor further reduce your risk, These sensors provide alerts on pollutant levels and allow smart control of the hood so it is switched on at specific times, for example, or when PM2.5 levels reach a certain threshold.
It is equally important to have your cooker hood inspected and maintained annually by the installers. Like servicing your car or boiler, maintaining your ventilation system annually will ensure that it continues to operate effectively.
Cooking at home can expose us to harmful air pollutants. In energy efficient homes, people need to be informed about how best to use their mechanical ventilation systems to avoid such exposure. It will take some time to adjust to these systems, but through some easy tips and tricks InformationWe can reduce our risk.
Asit Kumar Mishrapostdoctoral researcher, Galway University And Mary CogginsSenior Lecturer in Exposure Science, Galway University
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons Licence. read the original article,
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