There is going to be a meeting with the council! Time to talk about air pollution

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Permalink Reply by Zena Brabazon 22 hours ago

Hi Alice

There are two Annas. Anna Lawton is councillor for Hermitage and the Gardens 

Anna Abela is my fellow councillor for Harringay ward. So if Harringay residents are contacting us, please write to me - zena.brabazon@haringey.gov.uk or anna.abela@haringey.gov.uk

Thanks,

Zena

Zena Brabazon

Cllr, Harringay ward

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Permalink Reply by Alice B 22 hours ago

Oh you are absolutely right Zena - blame a tired brain. Yes I meant the Ladder Anna!

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Permalink Reply by S Williams 9 hours ago

Hi all

For a work project I've been looking at global air pollution and came across this useful study about restaurants (in Saudi Arabia) and how to mitigate the effects.  It's free to access https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/261 I declare no interest in writing it.   In summary, I believe their conclusions are (with my comments in brackets):

1. The grilling process emits pollutants at a much higher rate than those of the other food cooking methods used in restaurants

2. Starting point is to ensure the workforce is protected as they have longest and most direct exposure 

3. Carefully select siting of restaurants using grills etc that emit pollutants to avoid residential premises, schools, or clinics (hm, not really a runner on Green Lanes!) 

4. Require high-performance air pollution control equipment to be installed at the kitchen ventilation system of the food premises for treating cooking fume emissions before being discharged to the outdoor environment (good quality cooker hoods directly above stoves; connections to exhaust ducts etc)

5. Install chimneys as high as possible for upward discharge.

No doubt someone could use AI to summarise the whole paper if you're interested.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter 6 hours ago

Thanks S Williams; I took up your suggestion and I put the following question into three AI chatbots

Please summarise the article titled "Impact of the Restaurant Chimney Emissions on the Outdoor Air Quality", that is located at: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/2/261

• ChatGPT
• Claude
• Gemini (Google)

In the order above, I'll post their summaries below …

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Harper 4 hours ago

Is it really necessary to post all of this here? It wasn't an instruction, Clive. Let's focus on filtering the pollution... be it pm2.5 or AI.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter 6 hours ago

FROM ChatGPT

Here is a clear, structured summary of the article:

---

Summary of “Impact of the Restaurant Chimney Emissions on the Outdoor Air Quality”

Aim of the study

The research investigates how emissions from restaurant chimneys affect outdoor (ambient) air quality, addressing a gap in prior studies which focused mainly on indoor pollution. (MDPI)

---

Methodology

• Location: Dammam City, Saudi Arabia

• Sample: 20 restaurants using four cooking methods:

  • Grilling

  • Frying

  • Cooking (boiling/stewing)

  • Baking

• Measurements:

  • Pollutants measured both:

    • At chimney outlets

    • In nearby outdoor air (10–20 m away)

• Pollutants analysed:

  • Carbon monoxide (CO)

  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)

  • Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) (MDPI)

---

Key findings

1. Chimneys emit significant pollutants

• All restaurants emitted measurable levels of harmful gases.

• Grilling restaurants produced the highest emissions, far exceeding other cooking types. (MDPI)

2. Outdoor air is directly affected

• Pollutant levels in nearby outdoor air closely mirrored chimney emissions.

• Areas near grilling restaurants had the highest ambient pollution levels.

• Control areas (away from restaurants) had much lower levels. (MDPI)

➡️ This shows a direct causal link between chimney emissions and local outdoor air quality.

3. Cooking method matters

• High-temperature methods (grilling, frying) generate more pollution due to:

  • Fuel combustion (e.g. charcoal, gas)

  • Fat breakdown and smoke production

• Lower-temperature cooking produces fewer emissions. (MDPI)

4. Pollutants have health implications

• Emissions include substances linked to:

  • Respiratory irritation (e.g. SO₂, NO₂)

  • Toxic exposure (e.g. CO)

  • Carcinogenic compounds (e.g. VOCs, PAHs from charcoal) (MDPI)

---

Interpretation

• Restaurant chimneys do not fully eliminate pollution—they relocate it outdoors.

• Changes in cooking practices or combustion efficiency directly influence surrounding air quality.

---

Recommendations

The study suggests several mitigation strategies:

• Install effective filtration systems (e.g. activated carbon, venturi systems)

• Ensure proper exhaust design and maintenance

• Position chimneys as high as possible

• Avoid locating restaurants near sensitive receptors (e.g. residential areas) (MDPI)

---

Overall conclusion

Restaurant chimney emissions have a clear and measurable impact on outdoor air quality, especially from grilling operations. While emissions were often within regulatory limits, they still contribute to local pollution and potential health risks. The study highlights the need for better control technologies, regulation, and siting decisions. (MDPI)

---

If you’d like, I can also:

• Critically evaluate the study (strengths/limitations), or

• Relate its findings to UK regulations and real-world cases.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter 6 hours ago

FROM Claude

Here is a summary of the article, published in the journal Atmosphere in February 2022 by ElSharkawy and Ibrahim from Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

Purpose

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of restaurant chimney emissions on ambient (outdoor) air quality. The authors noted that while indoor air quality in restaurants had been studied before, data on the effect of cooking emissions on the surrounding outdoor environment was scarce.

Methodology

Twenty restaurants across four cooking types — grilling, frying, cooking (e.g. rice and vegetables), and baking — were selected in Dammam City, a densely populated urban area in Saudi Arabia. Five pollutants were measured simultaneously at the chimney outlet and in the outdoor air 10–20 metres downwind: CO, CO₂, VOCs, NO₂, and SO₂. A portable flue gas analyser was used at the chimneys, and a multi-gas detector was used for outdoor readings. Measurements were taken during evening peak cooking hours.

Key Findings — Chimney Emissions

The highest pollutant levels came from grilling chimneys: CO (64.8 ppm), CO₂ (916.7 ppm), VOCs (105.1 ppm), NO₂ (4.2 ppm), and SO₂ (8.0 ppm). The lowest emissions came from cooking-style restaurants. Grilling's high emissions were attributed largely to charcoal combustion, which is a major source of VOCs, CO, SO₂, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Despite this, all chimney pollutant levels fell below industry-derived emission standards (such as those for coal-fired power plants).

Key Findings — Outdoor Air Quality

The outdoor air pollution pattern mirrored the chimney results exactly — areas surrounding grilling restaurants had the highest pollutant concentrations, followed by frying and baking, with cooking restaurants producing the lowest levels. Crucially, the control area (far from any restaurants) had the lowest readings of all, confirming the direct influence of chimney emissions on local air quality. When measured against WHO and Saudi air quality guidelines, VOC levels exceeded safe thresholds near grilling and frying restaurants, while SO₂ exceeded guidelines near grilling and baking restaurants.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The authors concluded that restaurant chimney emissions — especially from grilling — have a considerable and direct effect on outdoor air quality, and that any change in a restaurant's combustion efficiency will be reflected in the surrounding atmosphere. Recommended mitigations include installing separate exhaust systems with appropriate filtration (e.g. activated carbon), positioning exhaust outlets as high as possible, and ensuring restaurants are not sited close to sensitive receptors such as homes, schools, or clinics. The authors also called for further research to isolate the effects of specific cooking fuels on outdoor air quality.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter 6 hours ago

FROM Gemini

The article "Impact of the Restaurant Chimney Emissions on the Outdoor Air Quality," published in the journal Atmosphere (2022) by Mahmoud Fathy El-Sharqawy and Ossama A. Labib, investigates how emissions from various restaurant cooking methods affect the surrounding urban environment.

Overview

The study was conducted in Dammam City, Saudi Arabia, a densely populated urban area. The researchers aimed to fill a knowledge gap regarding how "chimney plumes"—the smoke and gases exhausted from commercial kitchens—contribute to local outdoor air pollution.

Methodology

The researchers selected 20 restaurants categorized into four distinct food preparation types:

1. Grilling (primarily charcoal-based)

2. Frying (using deep oils)

3. Cooking (traditional boiling or stewing)

4. Baking (using ovens)

They simultaneously measured the concentrations of five key pollutants—Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂), Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂), and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)—at two points:

• Inside the restaurant chimneys (the emission source).

• In the ambient outdoor air adjacent to the restaurants.

Key Findings

The study revealed that restaurant emissions significantly degrade local air quality, with the impact varying drastically by cooking method:

• Grilling as the Leading Pollutant Source: Restaurants specializing in grilling (especially those using charcoal) produced the highest levels of all measured pollutants. For example, mean CO levels in grilling chimneys reached 64.8 ppm, compared to only 8.3 ppm for standard cooking.

• Ambient Air Impact: The pollutants didn't just stay in the chimneys; they significantly raised outdoor levels. Ambient VOC and SO₂ concentrations near grilling restaurants were found to exceed or closely approach international Air Quality Guidelines (AQG).

• Pollution Ranking: The cooking methods were ranked by their emission levels as follows:

  1. Grilling (Highest impact)

  2. Frying

  3. Baking

  4. Cooking/Boiling (Lowest impact)

• Health Concerns: The study noted that high levels of SO₂ and VOCs are linked to respiratory irritation, chronic bronchitis, and potential carcinogenicity, posing risks to both restaurant workers and nearby residents.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The authors conclude that restaurant chimneys are a significant, often overlooked source of urban air pollution. To mitigate these effects, they recommend:

• Mandatory Filtration: Government agencies should require restaurants (especially grilling establishments) to install high-performance air pollution control equipment, such as electrostatic precipitators or scrubbers.

• Regular Monitoring: Authorities should implement routine inspections of chimney emissions to ensure they meet environmental standards.

• Public Health Policy: Urban planning should consider the density of restaurants in residential areas to prevent localized "hotspots" of poor air quality.

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Harper 8 hours ago

A step forward.

We are reminded on days like today of the cyclicality of life. Mid-March and the birds are out building and feathering their nests. Then there is the longer cycle of political life. Ephemeral, like some rare Asian orchid, councillors appear, blooming briefly after years of dormancy. 

A 'meeting' is welcome but is more than a decade overdue. And given the imminent election, we should be  justifiably wary of timing. Most will remember the flurry of promises about traffic solutions prior to the 2022 elections. 

This thread from 2018 is very instructive, both in terms of the content and the timeframes. It also has some useful images that could help illustrate the problem in the meeting.
 
https://harringayonline.com/forum/topics/smoke-nuisance-mattison-pe...

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