Is oil temperature a key factor influencing air pollutant emissions from Chinese cooking?

Cooking is an important source of air pollutants in Chinese residences. Cooking emissions are influenced by many factors, among which oil temperature is one of the most influential. In this study, 15 typical Chinese dishes, prepared using oil-based cooking methods (stir-, pan- and deep-frying), were chosen. The experiment was repeated three times with each dish-freshly prepared for each subsequent analysis-considering five key factors, to determine the emission rates of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ultrafine particles (UFPs), formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The oil temperature and oil consumption were measured. A partial correlation analysis was performed to identify the influence of oil temperature on air pollutant emission rates during Chinese residential cooking. The zero-order correlation coefficients for all air pollutants, excluding UFPs, and partial correlation coefficients for all air pollutants, were not significant, implying that the influence of oil temperature on air pollutant emission rates was not significant, because practical peak oil temperatures (112-177 °C) were mostly below the oil smoke point (107-234 °C).