A recent study conducted by UBC researchers has discovered the presence of singlet oxygen indoors for the first time. Singlet oxygen is an oxidant, which are chemical compounds that can have both positive and negative effects. For example, ozone in the stratosphere is a beneficial oxidant, but indoors, oxidants like singlet oxygen can be harmful and contribute to lung stress. In the long term, this stress can lead to the development of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
The development of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease may be linked to long-term exposure to cooking emissions.
Cooking foods can release brown carbon, which can potentially create oxidants when exposed to light. Additionally, chefs exposed to cooking emissions have been associated with chronic diseases.
It was previously believed that there wasn’t enough indoor light to facilitate much reactive chemistry, but modern kitchens have numerous light sources.
Sprouts + sunlight = oxidant
UBC researchers hypothesized that if all the right conditions were met, such as cooking in a well-lit area, singlet oxygen might be found indoors where it had never been before.
An investigation was conducted by cooking three different meals to represent breakfast, lunch, and dinner: pancakes, Brussels sprouts, and vegetable stir fry. The air was sampled and exposed to UV, sunlight, and fluorescent light. Singlet oxygen was detected at similar concentrations for all three meals, with the highest concentration found in the sunlit experiments. This suggests that naturally lit kitchens may have higher levels of this oxidant.
It has become more apparent to the public that indoor air quality is important due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers are suggesting that improving ventilation and using air filtration in kitchens can help reduce exposure to aerosols when cooking. Dr. Nadine Borduas-Dedekind, a senior author and assistant professor of chemistry at UBC, mentioned that their next steps include studying how the oxidant might impact humans and the potential role it could play in cooking-related diseases.
