Low-cost ventilation strategies for mitigating indoor cooking emissions: Preliminary experiments using window fans and kitchen hoods

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76013, USA

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Abstract

Abstract. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important environmental determinant of human health, comfort, and well-being, particularly in homes where people spend most of their time indoors. Cooking is a major indoor source of particulate and gaseous, which pose a range of health risks. However, many U.S. homes, especially low-income households, lack adequate ventilation, and some do not even have kitchen hoods. To address these gaps, this study examines the effectiveness of low-cost window fans and natural ventilation, compared with kitchen hoods, in reducing indoor cooking emissions. We conducted experiments under four conditions: (1) no ventilation (baseline), (2) natural ventilation, (3) window fan, and (4) kitchen hood. Cooking-related pollutants measured included particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), as well as temperature and humidity. Using a standardized cooking protocol with beef patty and cooking oil for 7.5 minutes, after which pollutant concentrations were allowed to reach a 5-minute steady-state before ventilation strategies were operated. We measured decay rates to determine the effect of airflow on the removal efficiency of each ventilation measure after cooking was completed. Window fans showed the highest average decay rates (12.66/hour in low mode and 11.85/hour in high mode), followed by natural ventilation (1.85/hour) and kitchen hoods (1.60/hour in low mode and 1.67/hour in high mode). The results indicate that the air velocity of each ventilation measure was 1.8-3.5 m/s for the window fan, 0.1 m/s for natural ventilation, and 0.5-1.5m/s for the kitchen hood, which significantly influenced airflow and pollutant removal efficiency. Although the kitchen hood tested did not provide sufficient airflow, window fans can be a practical and affordable solution for improving IAQ, given their low cost (approximately $30 USD) and pollutant removal efficiency. Our future experiments will evaluate more accurately the removal efficiency of window fans compared with a modern kitchen hood, with ventilation devices operating simultaneously during actual cooking.