Charcoal Grill Restaurants Deteriorate Outdoor Air Quality by Emitting Volatile Organic Compounds

摘要

Our study investigated outdoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as BTEX and n-alkanes emitted from charcoal grill restaurants. Twenty sites were selected from a city in Korea for outdoor-air sampling. On average, the concentrations of all VOCs in the areas of the charcoal grill restaurants were significantly 1.3-to-2.6-fold higher than those in the non-charcoal-grill areas at the 1% level. The results showed that charcoal grill restaurants are responsible for both indoor and outdoor air pollution, which can cause health problems for pedestrians and residents in such areas as well as restaurant workers and customers.