Higher Toxicity of Gaseous Organics Relative to Particulate Matters Emitted from Typical Cooking Processes

Cooking emission is known to be a significant anthropogenic source of air pollution in urban areas, but its toxicities are still unclear. This study addressed the toxicities of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and gaseous organics by combining chemical fingerprinting analysis with cellular assessments. The cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species activity of gaseous organics were ∼1.9 and ∼8.3 times higher than those of PM2.5, respectively. Moreover, these values of per unit mass PM2.5 were ∼7.1 and ∼15.7 times higher than those collected from ambient air in Shanghai. The total oleic acid equivalent quantities for carcinogenic and toxic respiratory effects of gaseous organics, as estimated using predictive models based on quantitative structure–property relationships, were 1686 ± 803 and 430 ± 176 μg/mg PM2.5, respectively. Both predicted toxicities were higher than those of particulate organics, consistent with cellular assessment. These health risks are primarily attributed to the high relative content and toxic equivalency factor of the organic compounds present in the gas phase, including 7,9-di-tert-butyl-1-oxaspiro(4,5)deca-6,9-diene-2,8-dione, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, and 2-phenoxyethoxybenzene. Furthermore, these compounds and fatty acids were identified as prominent chemical markers of cooking-related emissions. The obtained results highlight the importance of control measures for cooking-emitted gaseous organics to reduce the personal exposure risks.