Work

Combustion-derived air pollution and heat from gas-fired appliances in commercial kitchens can exceed health-based guidelines

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Commercial kitchens may expose an estimated 15.7 million U.S. workers to elevated air pollution and heat, yet real-world measurements are limited and no prior study has compared commercial kitchens with gas-fired appliances to fully electric ones. We monitored pollutants and temperature in 27 commercial kitchens in California, Pennsylvania, and New York, including 24 natural gas- or propane-fired and 3 fully electric, during both work and idle periods. We measured nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), benzene, and temperature at five locations within each kitchen relevant for chefs and cooks. During work hours, NO 2 measured immediately outside ventilation hoods and in ambient kitchen areas exceeded the US EPA and world health organization 1 h guidelines (100 ppbv) in 17 of 24 (70%) kitchens with gas-fired appliances, reaching a maximum of >1000 ppbv in four kitchens. In total, we captured ∼170 work hours where the 1 h NO 2 guideline was surpassed outside hoods or in ambient areas. CO levels also exceeded the California 1 h guideline (20 ppm) outside of hoods and in ambient kitchen areas for ten hours in three kitchens with gas-fired appliances, whereas benzene exceeded the California 1 h exposure guideline (8.4 ppb) for 12 h in five different kitchens. Likewise, 13 of 19 (68%) fossil-fueled kitchens exceeded OSHA’s proposed high-heat trigger of 90°F (32.2 °C), with 10 recording maximum temperatures above 100°F (37.8 °C). Overall, workers in ∼70% of kitchens with gas-fired appliances we sampled faced routine exposures to pollution and heat that exceeded health-based guidelines despite ventilation systems. None of the electric kitchens exceeded pollutant or temperature thresholds. While we frequently observed high pollutant concentrations during work hours, two-thirds of fossil-fueled kitchens exhibited higher median concentrations of NO 2 , CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , and benzene overnight when ventilation was off but pilot lights remained lit. This finding has implications for cleaning and prep crews and for co-occupants in mixed-use buildings.

Source: Environmental Research Letters

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ae9d96