Delhi roasted again over air quality

Beleaguered denizens of the national capital can derive some comfort from the fact that the average western home, on a Sunday, has a similar ambient air quality. At least that is the conclusion of researchers in the US who claim the preparation of a classic Sunday roast dinner in kitchens from London to Los Angeles creates interior air pollution actually higher than that of New Delhi.

According to their findings, soot from charring meat and tiny particles from roasting vegetables, super-heated oils and animal fats leads to levels of PM2.5 particles– a technical pollution measurement term all-too-familiar to many Indians these days— in kitchens rising 13 times higher than that of Central London. Even toasting rather than roasting apparently raises PM2.5 levels quite precipitately.

Interestingly, it has been noted in 2018 that while less people are having roast dinners on Sunday in the UK, more are having them over the rest of the week, leading to a net rise of 4.2% after a long period of decline. Numbers are similar elsewhere too. Now with PM2.5 providing an unwanted marinade, the optimal solution will enthuse only food delivery businesses: don’t roast—or better still, don’t cook. The inhabitants of Delhi, unfortunately, have no choice as the air quality remains abysmal despite diverse dinner options.