Research from the University of Birmingham has revealed that cooking oil emissions don’t quickly disappear but reorganize into complex structures. This affects cloud formation and air quality, increasing pollutant persistence. Emissions like oleic acid can absorb more water, making pollutants heavier and more persistent. The study suggests better ventilation and use of extractor fans in kitchens to reduce exposure.
Cooking oil
is a key ingredient in almost every dish we eat. Have you ever wondered what happens when the cooking oil is poured into a hot pan? When you add the veggies, the oil sizzles, and the golden droplets leap and burst, releasing invisible particles into the air. The chimney or the extractor fan whisks away these fumes. But is that all?
New research has revealed that these airborne particles don’t just disappear into thin air, but linger longer and reorganize themselves to form complex architectural structures that could influence both air quality and climate and have implications for human health and well-being.
The new study ”Experimental observation of the impact of nanostructure on hygroscopicity and reactivity of fatty acid atmospheric aerosol proxies’ published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics explores how molecular-level reorganization of cooking fats affects cloud formation and urban emissions.
The research led by the University of Birmingham found that the aerosol pollutants from cooking may last longer than expected. This is because the pollutants that form nanostructures could absorb substantially more water than simple models. This means the droplets become heavier and will eventually be removed from the atmosphere when they fall as rain.
The scientists studied the water uptake of oleic acid, a molecule commonly found in emissions from cooking oil and in spray from the ocean’s surface. Using the Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) technique they learnt the relationship between the structure inside the particle and both its ability to absorb water and its reactivity. They also studied the changes in the structures of polluting particles, caused by changes in humidity. They found that as molecules react with ozone in the atmosphere and undergo breakdown, they can reorganize into diverse 3-D structures, each exhibiting different capacities to absorb water and engage with other chemicals. These combined effects lead to keep oleic acid particles circulating in the atmosphere for longer.
“As we develop our understanding of how these particles behave in the atmosphere, we will be able to design more sophisticated strategies for the control of air pollution,” lead researcher Professor Christian Pfrang said in a release.
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He added, “For example, protecting harmful emissions from degrading in the atmosphere could allow them to travel and disperse further through the atmosphere, thus substantially increasing the pollutant’s reach. Our results show that aerosols exist in a really dynamic state, with complex structures being formed as well as being destroyed. Each of these states allows polluting molecules to linger in the atmosphere for longer. To reduce exposure to pollutants from cooking, people should consider making more use of extractor fans and ensuring that kitchens are well ventilated to allow aerosol particles to escape rapidly.”
(Pic courtesy: iStock)
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
