Carbon Monoxide Release Levels from a Variety of Cooking Oil
School Name
Crayton Middle School
Grade Level
8th Grade
Presentation Topic
Biochemistry
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
While cooking at home, I observed that the carbon monoxide alarm always goes off at different times whenever we cook with certain plant-based cooking oils. I hypothesized that different cooking oils while burning might release different amounts of carbon monoxide (CO). To test this hypothesis, I set up pilot experiments in a well-ventilated, outdoor environment using a CO detector, a clear glass casserole dish with a lid, and five types of cooking oils I used in my home (oil names were designated as- Oil E-1, Oil U-1, Oil L-1, Oil V-1, and Oil O-1) in separate oil lamps with a home-made cotton wick. After igniting the oil lamps, the CO detector and lighted oil lamps were kept in a glass casserole dish and the lid was closed. The level of CO release was noted every 30 seconds for 3 minutes. I repeated the experiments 3 times and the average of the 3 CO release levels was plotted. In my experimental settings, the preliminary results showed that the CO levels gradually increased after lighting each type of the oils, and continued to rise even after the wick went out. However, some increased more than others. The observed difference in CO release might be due to the presence of different types and amounts of fatty acids in each cooking oil. This study suggests that cooking should be performed in a well-ventilated area to avoid exposure to harmful gases released from the cooking oil burning. One limitation of this study is that the experiments were done in a non-controlled environment and it would be relevant to perform the experiments in a controlled environment.
Recommended Citation
Gupta, Dhruv, "Carbon Monoxide Release Levels from a Variety of Cooking Oil" (2024). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 428.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2024/all/428
Location
RITA 365
Start Date
3-23-2024 10:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Carbon Monoxide Release Levels from a Variety of Cooking Oil
RITA 365
While cooking at home, I observed that the carbon monoxide alarm always goes off at different times whenever we cook with certain plant-based cooking oils. I hypothesized that different cooking oils while burning might release different amounts of carbon monoxide (CO). To test this hypothesis, I set up pilot experiments in a well-ventilated, outdoor environment using a CO detector, a clear glass casserole dish with a lid, and five types of cooking oils I used in my home (oil names were designated as- Oil E-1, Oil U-1, Oil L-1, Oil V-1, and Oil O-1) in separate oil lamps with a home-made cotton wick. After igniting the oil lamps, the CO detector and lighted oil lamps were kept in a glass casserole dish and the lid was closed. The level of CO release was noted every 30 seconds for 3 minutes. I repeated the experiments 3 times and the average of the 3 CO release levels was plotted. In my experimental settings, the preliminary results showed that the CO levels gradually increased after lighting each type of the oils, and continued to rise even after the wick went out. However, some increased more than others. The observed difference in CO release might be due to the presence of different types and amounts of fatty acids in each cooking oil. This study suggests that cooking should be performed in a well-ventilated area to avoid exposure to harmful gases released from the cooking oil burning. One limitation of this study is that the experiments were done in a non-controlled environment and it would be relevant to perform the experiments in a controlled environment.
