Recent research has revealed that air fryers contribute significantly less to indoor air pollution compared to other cooking methods such as pan frying or deep frying. Indoor air pollution, which can lead to a variety of health problems, is primarily caused by cooking. Although previous studies have highlighted the energy-saving benefits of air-frying, its environmental advantages have been less explored.
Given that the majority of individuals spend over 80% of their time indoors, the health risks posed by indoor pollutants, which can cause acute symptoms as well as chronic conditions like cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and respiratory diseases, are of significant concern.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham’s School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences. They utilized a research kitchen on campus to conduct a series of controlled experiments, in order to measure the pollution produced by different cooking methods. The findings of their study have been published in Indoor Air.
The researchers prepared chicken breast using five different cooking methods: pan frying, stir-frying, deep-fat frying, boiling, and air-frying. They then measured the levels of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during each method.
They found that for particulate matter, air-frying produced the least amount of pollution, with a peak concentration of 0.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to a peak concentration of 92.9 for pan-frying. The results were similar for VOCs, with air-frying emitting only 20 parts per billion (ppb), compared to 260 ppb for pan-frying.
Professor Christian Pfrang, the lead author of the study, mentioned that the pollution levels can be affected by several factors, including the cooking method used, the amount of oil, and the stove temperature. He emphasized the importance of improving kitchen ventilation, such as opening windows or using extractor fans, to disperse polluting particles and reduce personal exposure.
The study also revealed that pollution levels remained high in the kitchen for over an hour after cooking, despite the process taking approximately 10 minutes. Professor Pfrang advised that continuing to ventilate the kitchen after cooking can help avoid the build-up of indoor pollution and minimize the potential for pollutants to spread throughout the house, thereby reducing exposure to these harmful particles.
