Pollutant Concentrations and Emission Rates from Natural Gas Cooking Burners without and with Range Hood Exhaust in Nine California Homes

(Building and Environment) A study measured combustion pollutant concentrations during the operation of natural gas cooking burners in nine homes. The results showed that four of the nine homes had kitchen NO2 levels that exceeded the national air quality standard of 100 ppb. The study found that range hood performance varied, but one with a large capture volume and a flow rate of 108 L/s reduced pollutant concentrations by 80-95%. The study concludes that increased awareness of the need to ventilate while cooking and building standards for minimum range hood flow rates and volume could reduce exposure to NO2 and ultrafine particles in homes.

Singer, B., Zaron Pass, R., Delp, W., Lorenzetti, D., Maddalena, R. (2017) Pollutant concentrations and emission rates from natural gas cooking burners without and with range hood exhaust in nine California homes. Building and Environment Vol. 122 pgs 215-229 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2017.06.021

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