A new study by scientists from Busan National University has found that common household appliances can be a source of ultrafine pollution in the home. Job, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials (JHM), found that toasters, convection ovens, and hair dryers are capable of releasing trillions of ultrafine particles (UFPs) less than 100 nanometers in size—small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs.
In the lab, researchers measured emissions from various appliances and found that the biggest source of pollution was the conventional slide-out toaster: even without bread, it still emitted up to 1.73 trillion particles per minute. Significant emissions were also recorded from air fryers and hair dryers, especially those equipped with carbon-brushed electric motors. At the same time, modern hair dryers with brushless motors produce 10–100 times fewer particles.
Computer modeling shows that such particles are actually not captured by the nasal cavity and are deposited in the deep parts of the lungs, and in children, because of their narrower airways, the potential risk of exposure is higher. What's even more worrying is that these particles were found to contain heavy metals, including copper, iron, aluminum and titanium, which could potentially be released from heating elements and motors.
The authors stress that the work did not assess direct health impacts, but ultrafine particles have previously been linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and inflammatory processes. Scientists are calling for a review of device design standards and the development of stricter guidelines on indoor air quality.
Previously, scientists have proven that “eco-friendly” bamboo tableware releases toxic melamine when heated and exposed to acidic foods.
