Emissions from Charbroiling and Grilling of Chicken and Beef

Abstract

Emission rates for fine particle (<2.5μ m ) mass (PM_2.5 ), carbon (organic/elemental), inorganic ions (SO₄ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻, NH₄ ⁺), elements (primarily metals), and speciated organic compounds are reported for charbroiling hamburger, steak, and chicken. The PM_2.5 rates for charbroiling meats ranged from 4.4 to 11.6 g/kg of uncooked meat in this study. No mass-emission rates are available from grilling, but the speciated organic data are available for these samples. Emission rates varied by type of appliance, meat, meat-fat content, and cooking conditions. High-fat hamburger cooked on an underfired charbroiler emitted the highest amount of PM_2.5 . The emissions were almost exclusively composed of organic carbon, with small amounts of elements and inorganic ions. Water-soluble K⁺ and Cl⁻, which are used as indicators of wood smoke in source apportionment studies, were also present in meat-cooking emissions. The speciated organic compounds that were measured include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cholesterol, and the long-chain γ-lactones. Charbroiling emissions yielded an average of ~3–5 times more PAHs, ~20 times more cholesterol, and ~10 times more lactones than grilling. These data were utilized in the ambient source apportionment analysis for the 1997 Northern Front Range Air Quality Study source apportionment.