Salāmat-i kār-i Īrān (Jul 2010)
Indoor air quality in restaurant kitchens in the south Tehran (2006)
Abstract
Background and aims Generally nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) are emitted Toxic gases like carbon monoxide (CO.), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrogen oxides (NOx) will remain in the kitchen when cooking with a gas stove. The purpose of the present study was to measure carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) levels during the operation of cooking in restaurant kitchens that use gas or natural gas, which are widely used in Tehran. Methods One hundred thirty one restaurants were chosen randomly from a list of 276 restaurants in five region different geographic categories, of the metropolitan Tehran, area, in summer 2006. Simultaneous indoor and outdoor air sampling occurred at each sampling site. Carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were measured by a real-time analyzer portable computer monitors. Results The results of this study showed that %83 and %68 kitchens had local exhaust ventilation and fan system, respectively. The results of this study showed that the mean concentrations of CO and NO 2 with gas stoves for food cooking in restaurant kitchens were below the standard which was established as TLV-TWA=25 and 3 ppm, respectively by ACGIH. The I/O ratios of CO and NO 2 , were larger than 1 when there were indoor sources. Conclusion In this study, the mean levels of CO and NO 2 indoor were upper than the CO and NO 2 outdoor the restaurants. Generally, improved methods of cooking besides appropriate ventilation of all indoor combustion appliances, including gas stoves, should be adopted in industrial kitchens
