NOAA study says cooking contributes substantially to ozone pollution in L.A. area
Cooking food can release volatile organic compounds that contribute to the production of potentially harmful ozone, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric study says. Photo courtesy of the NOAA
The volatile organic compounds released into the air while cooking food contributes to potentially harmful ozone pollution, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers say.
NOAA researchers say the “potent and often pungent volatile organic compounds given off from cooking food are now responsible for over a quarter of the ozone production from VOCs generated by human activity” in the Los Angeles basin.
The amount of ozone produced by cooking in Los Angeles is about equal to the amount of ozone produced by volatile organic compounds from fueled vehicles, the NOAA study says.
“We knew from our research that chemical compounds from cooking can make up an important fraction of VOCs present in urban air, but they were not well-represented in inventories or included in air quality models,” NOAA research chemist Chelsea Stockwell said.
“Given the known chemical reactivity of these compounds, their omission from air quality models may be a blind spot when it comes to urban ozone production,” Stockwell said.
VOCs and nitrogen oxides are the two ingredients required to create ground-level ozone, which the Environmental Protection Agency regulates and classifies as an air pollutant.
VOCs and nitrogen oxide, which is mostly is produced by vehicle exhaust emissions, undergo photochemical reactions that create ozone, according to the NOAA.
When ozone is present in relatively high concentrations, it is toxic to humans, animals and plants.
VOCs are especially abundant in the downtown areas of large cities and often are byproducts from cooking oils and fats contained in foods.
Natural sources of VOCs include trees, foliage and air that flows into cities and account for about half of all VOCs. Human activity accounts for the other half.
Volatile chemical products, including paints, pesticides and adhesives, also contribute to ozone produced by human activity.