The air fryers that are gaining popularity because they promise healthier food may have a secret benefit as well: clean indoor air. According to a new University of Birmingham study, air fryers produce far less airborne pollution than traditional frying.
Researchers published their findings in ES&T Air by the American Chemical Society. They measured the emissions of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particle (UFP) when air frying 12 dishes. Researchers compared the results of air frying with shallow or deep fat frying using a custom built air quality chamber.
This study shows that air fryers can improve indoor air quality. Christian Pfrang is the lead author.
While our previous research only focused on one food type, lean poultry, we decided to examine a wider range of products, even those with a higher fat content to compare how they would fare when prepared in an air-fryer.
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Researchers discovered that food cooked using an air fryer releases fewer VOCs, UFPs, and other pollutants than foods prepared by deep or shallow frying. The highest level of pollution was produced by frozen onion rings and bacon in an air fryer. However, the amount of pollution is still a fraction of what you would see in a deep fat fryer.
The residues in the hard to clean areas of older air fryers caused them to emit more pollution.
The compounds aldehydes and alkenes that are linked with health issues were found, however, concentrations remained below the UK Government’s indoor air quality standards.
Ruijie Tan, the first author of this study and a Birmingham PhD student, stated:
The results showed that, while high-fat foods do emit more pollutants in an air fryer they are a small fraction of the emissions produced by other cooking methods like shallow or deep fat frying.
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The cooking process is one of the major sources of indoor pollution. Fryers are known to emit ultrafine particles which can penetrate deeply into the lungs. Air fryers may help to reduce air pollution, particularly in kitchens that have limited ventilation.
Researchers warn that there is still room for improvement in design.
Air fryers can have a negative impact on indoor air quality if they are used repeatedly without the ability to properly clean their inaccessible surfaces. Pfrang, said.
Then he added, Manufacturers should design products that can be cleaned more thoroughly to reduce emissions over time.
Air quality indoors is becoming a major public health concern. Air fryers do not emit no emissions, but the Birmingham study is the first to provide detailed proof that they are more environmentally friendly than conventional frying.
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The findings may influence consumer choice and the design of appliances as households adopt low-oil cookware.
Our work will help households understand how the activities in their kitchens affect air quality. Pfrang said.
Journal Reference
- Christian Pfrang, Lara K. Dunn and William Joe F. Acton. The Impacts of Domestic Air Fryer Emissions on Indoor Air Quality: Quantification of Volatile Organic Compounds, Nitrogen Oxides and Ultrafine Particles ACS ES&T Air. DOI: 10.1021/acsestair.5c00363
