The kitchen is a prime source of indoor air contaminants, largely from cooking. Gas burners give off more than carbon dioxide and water vapor; they produce nitrous oxide, nitrous dioxide, and formaldehyde. Cooking foods produce a range of contaminants including acroleins, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter in the size range of 2.5 nanometers (known collectively as PM2.5 ) - particles so small and light, they tend to stay in the air longer than heavier particles and penetrate deep in the lungs, triggering or worsening chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and heart attacks.
We tend to think that a range hood will remove these contaminates - and they can - except they often don't.
Allison Bailes gives a nice summary of the main problems with kitchen exhaust systems. Perhaps not too surprising, one of the biggest problems is they just don't get used.
Turning on the kitchen exhaust fan is a good first step, Bailes explains, but that doesn't guarantee you're getting rid of all the bad stuff. In this blog entry, he provides a quick summary of the most common problems with kitchen exhaust systems, and more important, some helpful ways to improve the effectiveness of kitchen ventilation.
Read More
