Evaluation of Air Quality Indices of Selected Public Kitchens and Possible Health Consequences

Abstract

Biomass use in small unit combustion systems such as for space heating or cooking could lead to ineffective mixing and potential problems arising from emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants. We therefore conducted a study to measure pollution levels in public kitchens using biomass fuel for cooking and to ascertain their air quality indices. Markers of indoor air quality such as CO, SO2, H2S, PM2.5 and PM10 were measured in eleven (11) public kitchens of selected secondary schools over a period of four months by a set of active sampling devices. It is revealed that the mean average of CO, SO2, H2S, PM2.5 and PM10 sampled in the indoor microenvironments of the selected kitchens are 46.29 ppm, 0.36 ppm, 0.28 ppm, 74 µg/m3 and 138 µg/m3, respectively. The AQI assessed for CO for the kitchens was 36.36% very hazardous, 54.54 % hazardous and 9.09% very unhealthy while 63.64% and 36.36 % of very unhealthy and unhealthy categories, respectively for SO2. This shows that the indoor air pollution levels in selected kitchen are elevated and results in potential negative health consequences.

Keywords

• air quality
• biomass
• fuels
• indoor
• kitchen
• pollutants