Reduction of Hazardous Air Pollutant Emissions from Commercial Kitchens

Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from commercial cooking establishments are a subject of increasing concern around the world. Although increased awareness of the health hazards of respirable particulates and VOCs has promoted the development of new technologies to reduce emissions from restaurants, current technologies do not remove all hazardous air pollutants, have high capital cost, or have high operating costs. A microstructured filter that will trap and oxidize PM and VOCs at low exhaust temperatures will be developed in the Phase I program. The proposed technology will destroy exhaust pollutants at high efficiency with low capital and operating costs. There are approximately 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets in the United States, the majority of which contain cooking equipment that emits hazardous air pollutants. The proposed technology is adaptable to a wide variety of emission profiles and offers the potential for significant improvements in urban air quality.