A comprehensive evaluation of the atmospheric impacts and health risks of cooking fumes from different cuisines

Pollutants emitted by catering enterprises pose a significant threat to the environment and public health. In this study, based on a systematic analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) emission characteristics of different cuisines, the contribution of cooking emissions from catering enterprises to the PM_2.5 and O₃ concentrations in the atmosphere was evaluated using generation potential calculations and WRF-CAMx simulations. The health exposure risks of VOCs in kitchen breathing areas and those of PM_2.5 and O₃ contributed by the catering enterprises were evaluated. The generation potential calculation results showed that the catering enterprises exhibit 2.21–5.00 gO₃/gVOCs of ozone formation potential (OFP) and 0.07–0.21 gSOA/gVOCs of secondary organic aerosol production potential (SOAP). The WRF-CAMx simulation results indicated that cooking emissions from catering enterprises contribute 0.36–1.91 μg/m³ and 0.05–0.21 μg/m³ to PM_2.5 and maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) concentrations of O₃. The health exposure risks of PM_2.5 and O₃ were higher in catering enterprises in southern cities than in northern cities and were higher in urban areas than in suburban areas. The average hazardous VOCs (HVOCs) concentrations ranged from 53 ± 16 to 357 ± 31 μg/m³ in kitchen breathing areas. Acrolein was the primary contributor to the hazard index (HI) of all VOC species, accounting for 50.9%–99.5%. The total incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) of all cuisines exceeded the acceptable thresholds of 1.00 × 10⁻⁶. These findings provide insights that can aid in the formation and implementation of pollutant mitigation strategies in the catering industry.