New study finds extreme heat and air pollution in gas-powered commercial kitchens

Research into 27 US commercial kitchens has found air pollution above health-based guidelines and temperatures exceeding 50°C, raising questions about working conditions for Australian chefs and kitchen staff

A new study of commercial kitchens has recorded temperatures above 50°C and elevated air pollution during service, even when commercial extraction systems were operating.

The peer-reviewed research, published on 6 October in Environmental Research Letters, examined conditions in 27 commercial kitchens across California, Pennsylvania and New York. Of those, 24 used natural gas or propane, while three operated entirely on electricity.

Researchers from PSE Healthy Energy and Stanford University measured air pollutants and temperatures in areas where chefs and other kitchen staff work, both during service and after kitchens had closed.

The findings raise questions about how effectively commercial ventilation protects workers and whether similar conditions exist in Australian kitchens.

What researchers found during service

The study measured nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and benzene, alongside air temperatures at different locations within each kitchen.

Of the 24 gas and propane kitchens monitored, 17 recorded hourly average nitrogen dioxide concentrations above the World Health Organization's one-hour guideline of 200 micrograms per cubic metre in areas relevant to workers.

Nitrogen dioxide is produced during gas combustion and is associated with respiratory health risks.

These elevated concentrations were recorded despite commercial extraction systems being operational.

Researchers found that combustion-related pollutants could escape ventilation hoods and reach other occupied areas of the kitchen.

Heat was another significant finding.

Of the 19 gas and propane kitchens where temperatures were monitored, 13 recorded maximum temperatures above 32°C during working hours, 10 exceeded 37°C and four recorded peaks above 50°C.

These were peak readings taken at specific measurement locations, rather than temperatures experienced continuously by every worker.

The high temperatures were not simply a result of hot weather. In 10 of the 13 gas kitchens monitored when outdoor temperatures remained below 23°C, indoor readings still exceeded 32°C.

Researchers also monitored one chef during approximately five hours of service, recording an average temperature of 33°C at shoulder height and a peak of 41°C.

The three all-electric kitchens recorded consistently low levels of combustion-related pollutants, with none exceeding the pollutant thresholds assessed during cooking.

Temperature measurements were available for two of the electric kitchens, which recorded two of the three lowest peak temperatures observed during service.

However, the small number of electric kitchens limits broader conclusions about temperature differences between cooking systems.

Study co-author Drew Michanowicz, Principal Scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, said the research captured conditions experienced by chefs during actual service.

"Our study is unique because we measured what cooks and chefs are breathing during live service," he said in comments supplied with the research announcement.

Pollution continued after kitchens closed

One of the study's more unexpected findings came after service had finished.

More than two-thirds of the gas and propane kitchens monitored overnight recorded higher median concentrations of several pollutants when ventilation systems had been switched off but gas pilot lights remained burning.

Seven kitchens exceeded a nitrogen dioxide benchmark of 100 parts per billion by volume during these periods.

The results suggest that exposure to combustion-related pollutants may not be limited to chefs working through service.

Cleaning staff, early-morning preparation teams and other workers entering kitchens before extraction systems are switched on could also encounter elevated pollutant levels.

None of the all-electric kitchens studied exceeded the assessed pollutant thresholds during working or non-working hours.

Luke Burgess on running an electric kitchen at Scholé

For Hobart chef Luke Burgess, the working environment was an important consideration when he opened Scholé in 2025.

After almost 30 years working in professional kitchens, Luke chose to install an all-electric kitchen, despite the higher upfront investment.

In comments supplied by the Global Cooksafe Coalition, he described the difference during busy services.

"The kitchen is cooler and more comfortable to work in," Luke said.

He also reported that the change had not compromised the food or the way his team cooks.

Beyond temperature, Luke said electric equipment had made cleaning easier and quicker, reducing the amount of staff time spent on those tasks.

He reported that this had contributed to lower labour costs and improved the day-to-day operation of the kitchen.

However, Luke acknowledged that the initial investment required to establish an electric kitchen remains a significant obstacle for many businesses.

With hospitality operators already managing tight margins, he believes additional government support is needed to make electric cooking equipment accessible to restaurants considering the change.

His experience provides an Australian example of how equipment choices can influence kitchen operations, although the improvements he describes are specific to Scholé and were not measured as part of the US research.

What does the research mean for Australian kitchens?

The study was conducted entirely in the United States, and its findings cannot establish how widespread similar conditions might be in Australia.

According to the Global Cooksafe Coalition, no equivalent Australian field study has measured heat and combustion-related air pollution across commercial kitchens during live service.

The Coalition cites Jobs and Skills Australia employment data indicating that more than 362,000 chefs, cooks, kitchen hands and fast-food cooks work nationally.

Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, an air quality expert at Queensland University of Technology, has called for further Australian research and stronger measures to address pollution from commercial cooking equipment.

The Global Cooksafe Coalition advocates replacing gas appliances with electric alternatives to reduce pollution and improve working conditions.

But the research also has limitations.

The sample covered 27 US kitchens, including only three operating entirely on electricity. The pollution benchmarks used in the study included health-based ambient air guidelines, which should not be confused with Australian workplace exposure limits.

The findings also do not establish the long-term health outcomes of the workers monitored.

For restaurant owners and chefs, decisions about kitchen equipment involve more than air quality and temperature. Cooking performance, installation costs, ventilation requirements, energy supply and ongoing operating expenses all influence how commercial kitchens are designed.

Luke's experience at Scholé demonstrates that an all-electric kitchen can support his approach to cooking, but the initial cost remains a barrier for operators considering a similar move.

The research adds another consideration to those decisions: the conditions experienced by the people working in the kitchen.

Further Australian studies would help determine whether similar levels of heat and air pollution are present locally, and how kitchen design, ventilation and equipment choices affect staff during service.