Singlet oxygen is a type of oxidant, a group of chemical compounds that have dual effects on health;. At the same time, beneficial forms like stratospheric ozone exist; others can harm lung health and contribute to developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Cooking certain foods releases brown carbon, molecules that have the potential to form oxidants when they interact with light. The exposure of chefs to cooking emissions, historically considered less harmful due to the low light levels indoors, has been linked with an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Contrary to past beliefs that indoor environments lack enough light to facilitate much reactive chemistry, the unexpected findings of the University of British Columbia researchers suggest otherwise. They posited that cooking in a well-lit area might enable the detection of singlet oxygen indoors, an environment where it had previously gone unnoticed. This revelation challenges previous assumptions.
To test their hypothesis, the team conducted experiments involving the preparation of three meals—pancakes, Brussels sprouts, and vegetable stir fry—representing different daily meals. They sampled the air during these cooking processes and exposed it to three different types of light: UV, natural sunlight, and fluorescent light. Their findings showed that singlet oxygen was present at similar concentrations across all three dishes, with the highest levels detected under natural sunlight, indicating that kitchens with natural light are more likely to experience higher concentrations of this oxidant.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of indoor air quality, drawing greater attention to the potential hazards of indoor air pollutants. In response to their findings, the researchers recommend that ventilation and air filtration systems be implemented in kitchens to help reduce the risk of aerosol exposure during cooking.
Looking ahead, the research team’s plans to delve deeper into how singlet oxygen affects human health and the extent to which it is inhaled during cooking activities are of utmost importance. Their aim to determine whether this oxidant could play a significant role in the onset of cooking-related diseases is a crucial step towards understanding and mitigating health risks associated with indoor cooking emissions, offering hope for future advancements in this field.
More information: Nadine Borduas-Dedekind et al, Singlet oxygen is produced from brown carbon-containing cooking organic aerosols (BrCOA) under indoor lighting, Environmental Science: Atmospheres. DOI: 10.1039/D3EA00167A
Journal information: Environmental Science: Atmospheres Provided by The University of British Columbia
