Whether for family kitchens or commercial kitchens in restaurants or hotels, kitchen lampblack has always been a vexing problem. In family kitchens, we can use kitchen ventilators to ventilate the smoke that has been produced in the cooking process in time. However, in large commercial kitchens, there are much more cooking equipment than in family kitchens. So, the problem of cooking smoke in commercial kitchens has always been a big problem for their operators. The kitchen is a place to make delicious food, but it often comes at a cost to the health of the chef. Today, we’re going to look at the harms of kitchen smoke and how smoke removal with ozone is realized.
The Harm of Kitchen Smoke
The direct feeling that kitchen smoke brings to us is the stimulation to our respiratory tracts. But in fact, the harm brought by kitchen smoke is not just so. According to a British study, a restaurant cook’s working in a poorly ventilated kitchen for an hour will have the same effect on his body as if he had smoked a pack of cigarettes. According to another epidemiological survey, in the non-smoking female lung cancer patients, nearly 70% of them have long-term exposure to kitchen smoke. And about 30% of them prefer to fry their food in oil. To sum up, the impact of kitchen smoke on people’s health is reflected in the following aspects:
1. Damage to the Sensory Organs
Studies show that when cooking oil is heated to over 150℃, the glycerin component in the oil will be changed into acrolein. Acrolein is one of the main components of kitchen smoke. It has a strong pungent smell, and a strong irritation to the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. It may also cause rhinitis, pharyngitis, tracheitis and other respiratory diseases.
2. Lead to Smoke Syndrome
If the smoke that the kitchen produces enters the respiratory tract, it can cause the symptoms such as upset, fatigue, indolence, lethargy, anorexia, etc. This is medically known as smoke syndrome. This is why after cooking a lot of delicious food, many housewives or cooks often have little appetite for it themselves.
3. Cancer of the Lungs or Other Tissues
In addition to acrolein, kitchen smoke contains a carcinogen called benzopyrene. Benzopyrene may cause chromosomal damage in human cells. If inhaled over a long period of time, it can cause cancer in lung tissue. Researchers have investigated the incidence of lung cancer. They found that long-term homemakers and those who worked long hours in the kitchen had significantly higher rates of lung cancer.
In the above, we introduced the harm of kitchen smoke. In fact, the harm of kitchen smoke is not only that. More researches have confirmed that kitchen smoke is also believed to cause damage to the gut and nerves in the brain. Kitchen smoke can also lead to breathing difficulties in the scalp, which is a common problem with hair loss. In addition, smoke particles can also clog skin pores, causing problems with rough and dry skin. Kitchen smoke can even destroy the immunity of the skin, resulting in skin cancer. And generally, kitchen smoke affects cooks in commercial kitchen Settings more than housewives who often spend only part of their day confronting the smoke in the home kitchen.
To get rid of kitchen smoke, we often use kitchen ventilators in multiple models to do the elimination work. At the same time, improving the ventilation conditions of the kitchen and taking corresponding protective measures can also reduce the accumulation of lampblack in the kitchen and reduce its impact on people’s health. In addition, the selection of fresh edible oil and avoid the reuse will also reduce the formation of related oxidation products that contain oil.
How Can Kitchen Smoke Removal with Ozone Be Realized?
In addition to the above traditional methods, ozone can also play a huge role in the elimination of kitchen smoke. As an isotope of oxygen, ozone is a type of gas with strong oxidizing property. For the basics of ozone, you can refer to our introduction of ozone. Ozone can oxidize kitchen smoke and turn it into fine dust, carbon dioxide, water, etc. And thanks to the conversion, these components can be removed smoothly through the smoke expelling system. Not only that, ozone can also eliminate the strong odor that contained in the smoke. This is why smoke removal with ozone has become one of the most effective solution for kitchens. The preparation of ozone gas is usually accomplished by using ozone generators. The functions of ozone are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1. Reduce Smoke Emission
By reducing the emission of kitchen smoke, ozone can continuously and reliably clean the air in the kitchen space. This is a very good solution for the residents near the hotel who have been affected by the smoke for long period of time.
2. Prevent Fire
Through the use of ozone treatment equipment, the grease content in the kitchen flue can be significantly reduced. This is a huge help in reducing the likelihood of a fire. It also reduces the need to clean the kitchen flue simply because it is cleaner.
3. Remove Kitchen Odor
Restaurant kitchens are places where many people may go in and out. And all kinds of vegetables and meat will also go in there. This will bring in a large number of bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms. And it will fill the kitchen with odors. Kitchen smoke channels are also a major source of odors. For these odors, ozone can be their Nemesis. Ozone can effectively oxidize odor-causing microbes and fundamentally solve the odor problem in the kitchen.
Although conventional kitchen ventilators can extract most of the kitchen smoke, but its work will always be incomplete. And, kitchen ventilators themselves also need regular cleaning. Otherwise, in the long run, the accumulation of oil inside the machine will lead to damage. These problems will never happen in the kitchen smoke removal with ozone.
Selection and Installation of Equipment for Smoke Removal with Ozone
In order to ensure that ozone can play a full role, when selecting the ozone system, it is necessary to consider the wind speed of the smoke exhausting system and the exhausting quantity of the smoke in the kitchen. According to these two parameters, an appropriate ozone generator can be selected.
Wind speed of the smoke exhausting system
According to calculation, to achieve a favorable smoke removal with ozone, the contact time of ozone and oil smoke should be over 2 seconds. If the wind speed of the smoke exhausting system in the kitchen is 3 m/s, then the distance between the exhausting port of the smoke and the releasing point of ozone gas must be over 6 m.
Exhausting quantity of the smoke
The selection of an ozone generator will also be done according to the exhausting quantity of the smoke. Usually, when a kitchen is equipped with a smoke exhausting system capable of working at 5000-6000 m3/h, then an ozone generator matched should has an ozone gas output over 10 g/h.
Ozone has wide applications in many fields for surface sterilization, odor removal, water treatment, etc. Therefore, it can be concluded that wherever the strong oxidation of ozone can be applied, it will be an application field of ozone. For more information about ozone applications, please visit our Ozone Applications.
