Evaluation of potential short-term exposures to NO ₂ from cooking

Potential health concerns from cooking with natural gas appliances include short-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Published, one-hour concentrations measured in a few kitchens during simulated cooking events have been cited as justification for moving to electric alternatives by certain advocates. These estimates, however, are not believed to adequately represent typical potential exposure concentrations. In this paper, the various challenges in evaluating potential exposures based on measured indoor air concentrations of NO2 associated with cooking are identified and discussed. These include the lack of standards for indoor air in the U.S., the relatively short duration of cooking activities, and the likelihood of bias in indoor NO2 measurements due to the instrument response to other nitrogen-containing compounds. Correction factors for making more meaningful comparisons are suggested, including correction for duration of cooking time and correction for presence of nitrous acid (HONO).