Find practical solutions to address indoor air quality in pizzerias

As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country in 2020, Sean Chang noticed an everyday behavior practiced by millions of Americans – visiting a restaurant – suddenly deemed risky. For Chang, an associate professor at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the aggressively shifting consumer sentiment intrigued.

“Almost overnight, people became sensitive to something they didn’t think twice about before,” Chang says.

With a scholarly focus on investigating ways hospitality operations can add value to their products and services, Chang thought indoor air quality demanded a look.

In the April 2021 edition of the International Journal of Hospitality Management, a Chang-led study of open-kitchen restaurants with grilling and frying found these establishments were likely to cause respiratory health problems and elevate susceptibility to COVID-19. Chang and his co-authors suggested restaurants use air quality surveillance systems to monitor air quality and take preventative measures to keep restaurants safe and healthy.

“Indoor air quality has ramifications for the customer experience, employee health and the restaurant’s healthcare expenses,” says Chang, adding that today’s customers and employees are far more mindful of indoor air quality than ever before, which has elevated the issue with operators.

Indoor air quality and the pizzeria

Commercial cooking is known as the main source of harmful particulate matter pollution indoors, explains Bendegul Okumus, an associate professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management and a research collaborator with Chang. Particulate matter is a mixture of airborne solid particles, which can include dirt, dust and flour, and liquid droplets. Exposure to particulate matter can cause short-term health effects, such as lung or eye irritation, sneezing or shortness of breath. It can also impact lung function and potentially worsen existing medical conditions like asthma and heart disease.

“Anyone who breathes the restaurant’s air can suffer acute or chronic health problems due to these particulate matter rates,” Okumus says, adding that some commercial cooking methods and ingredients generate more particulate emissions than trucks or factories.

For example, Okumus says the use of charbroilers and gas, rather than electric stoves, contribute to higher particulate matter levels. In addition, certain oils, including olive oil, produce higher emissions than others.

“Cooking methods, pans, cooking temperature and lack of ventilation are factors that increase particulate matter emission rates,” Okumus says of restaurant kitchens.

Toss in the use of cleaning products, moisture and a high customer and employee density and maintaining healthy indoor air quality in a restaurant becomes that much more challenging, says Tony Kolotov, an indoor air quality advocate with ATMO (formerly Atmotube), a San Francisco-based company specializing in air quality and environmental monitoring products.

In a pizzeria, Kolotov says good indoor air quality is characterized by clean, fresh air and the absence of dangerous air pollutants, such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon dioxide.

Six practical solutions to address indoor air quality in pizzerias

Admittedly, pizzerias face a challenging dilemma here. After all, crafting tasty pizzas involves working with flour and oils while keeping a tidy restaurant demands the use of cleaning supplies.

While the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides standards for ventilation and acceptable indoor air quality – Standard 62.1, for those interested – Kolotov says actual indoor air quality levels will depend on various factors, such as the size and type of establishment, the ventilation system and local weather conditions.

To be certain, though, all restaurants can take reasonable, simple measures to improve indoor air quality in their establishments.

1: Tend to HVAC with care.

Operators should have their HVAC and hood system inspected and serviced on an annual basis to ensure proper operation and adequate ventilation. In addition, operators should frequently change air filters, a simple move that will limit the amount of dust and debris circulating around the establishment.

“It is important to check the hood ventilation system regularly, as the hood system is the key to keeping the kitchen clean and preventing harmful particles from entering the eating area,” Okumus says.

These ongoing maintenance steps are especially important in newer or renovated buildings, Chang says, where municipal codes designed to promote energy efficiency have created tighter and tighter seals that can trap air inside without proper ventilation.

2: Install an indoor air monitoring system.

Running $200 to $500, an indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring system does as its name suggests: it reports real-time levels of common pollutants, including particulate matter, VOCs, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Ideally, a monitor should be placed in restaurant areas where air quality is most critical, namely the kitchen and dining area.

Kolotov says continuous air quality monitoring “can help pinpoint high-risk areas, be it cooking activities that necessitate increased ventilation in the kitchen or dining areas with increased viral transmission risks.”

3: Clean often – and with the right products.

Regular cleaning of equipment and surfaces in the kitchen and dining room creates confidence in diners and employees, of course, but it also prevents dust and debris from building up and wiggling into the HVAC system. When cleaning, use VOC-free cleaning products to reduce chemical pollution.

4: Consider industrial-grade masks for kitchen staff.

A potentially controversial suggestion given the contentiousness of masking in post-pandemic society, Chang would nevertheless encourage kitchen staff to wear industrial-grade masks to protect themselves from air pollution.

In his research, Chang found air pollution levels in some restaurants exceeding those found in an auto paint shop. And yet, he says, whereas auto painters wear industrial-grade masks, such a practice does not exist in restaurants.

#5: When applicable, use natural ventilation.

While not always possible, opening doors and windows will help stimulate air circulation. Natural ventilation is not a cure-all, Chang reminds, but it can certainly help during specific times of year.

In addition, Kolotov says using air purifiers in the dining room can prove beneficial.

#6: Call in professional help.

To discover the right interventions for their pizzeria, owners might contact an experienced IAQ expert. These specialists can provide an evaluation of the restaurant and offer specific IAQ recommendations to improve the indoor air environment.