Evaluation of Air Quality Indices of Selected Public Kitchens and Possible Health Consequences

Biomass use in small unit combustion systems such as for space heating or cooking could lead to ineffective mixing and potential problems arising from emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants. We therefore conducted a study to measure pollution levels in public kitchens using biomass fuel for cooking and to ascertain their air quality indices. Markers of indoor air quality such as CO, SO۲, H۲S, PM۲.۵ and PM۱۰ were measured in eleven (۱۱) public kitchens of selected secondary schools over a period of four months by a set of active sampling devices. It is revealed that the mean average of CO, SO۲, H۲S, PM۲.۵ and PM۱۰ sampled in the indoor microenvironments of the selected kitchens are ۴۶.۲۹ ppm, ۰.۳۶ ppm, ۰.۲۸ ppm, ۷۴ µg/m۳ and ۱۳۸ µg/m۳, respectively. The AQI assessed for CO for the kitchens was ۳۶.۳۶% very hazardous, ۵۴.۵۴ % hazardous and ۹.۰۹% very unhealthy while ۶۳.۶۴% and ۳۶.۳۶ % of very unhealthy and unhealthy categories, respectively for SO۲. This shows that the indoor air pollution levels in selected kitchen are elevated and results in potential negative health consequences.