Effects of the exposure to indoor cooking-generated particles on nitric oxide exhaled by women

In this study short-term respiratory effects due to the exposure to cooking-generated aerosols were assessed through a marker of airway inflammation (exhaled Nitric Oxide, eNO). The exposure of 43 non-atopic, non-smoking women in terms of particle number and surface area concentration was monitored during their normal cooking activities through hand-held aerosol monitors. Women using gas (n=23) and electric (n=20) stoves were considered in the survey. Surface area particle doses deposited in the alveolar region of the lungs (mm2) received by each woman were measured as well as their levels of eNO concentration.Associations between woman exposure to cooking-generated aerosol and short-term changes of eNO were found. In particular, women using electric stoves reported a statistically significant eNO reduction during the cooking sessions, whereas an increase in eNO was measured in women using gas stoves. The results support the potential link between short-term exposures to cooking-generated particles and women's respiratory inflammation responses.