Volatile organic compound (VOC) samples were
collected from the exhaust stacks on the roofs of a university
canteen, a charcoal-grilled chicken restaurant and a woodoven
roasted piglet restaurant on sorbent tubes with
Carbopack B and C packing and analysed by thermal
desorption-gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection.
Concurrent sampling of carbonyls was also conducted using
2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine cartridges with analysis by highperformance
liquid chromatography. Two main reasons may
have contributed to the emission of much lower levels in the
exhaust of the kitchen of the university canteen: (i) hoods
having thick filters and (ii) use of gas and electricity as energy
sources for cooking. Larger emission rates of 2-butanone were
measured from boiled dishes prepared in the canteen than
those from other menus. Chlorinated VOCs have only been
detected in samples of the chicken restaurant. Benzene was
the compound with the highest emission rates from the chicken
and piglet restaurants (201 and 178 kg year−1
, respectively).
In general, the emissions from most dishes presented a
higher concentration of acetaldehyde compared to formaldehyde.
The ozone formation potentials of VOCs and carbonyls
emitted by the two restaurants are incomparably higher than
those estimated for the university canteen. The reactivity of
VOCs from the chicken and piglet restaurants is higher than
those reported for vehicle emissions or other sources.