The current status of PM2.5 in kitchens of severe cold regions and its impact on health and economy: A case study of Liaoning province

• Large-scale field tests on the kitchens were carried out in severely cold regions. • The variation law of the PM 2.5 concentration in kitchens has been explored. • The impact of indoor PM 2.5 on premature deaths of human beings was evaluated. • The impact of cooking PM 2.5 on health and economic losses was calculated. In the kitchens in severely cold areas of China during winter, an effective balance has not been achieved between maintaining the indoor temperature and ensuring the air quality. Compared with other regions, the PM 2.5 pollution situation is more serious. In this paper, the PM 2.5 concentrations in 62 typical kitchens during the cooking and non-cooking processes were tested, and questionnaire surveys were conducted among 288 households. The health impacts and economic losses caused by cooking PM 2.5 in winter in Liaoning Province were quantitatively evaluated. The results indicated that the PM 2.5 concentration in the kitchen during the cooking process in Liaoning region is 0.438 mg/m 3 , which is 0.295 mg/m 3 higher than that in Shanghai region. The highest PM 2.5 concentration (1.102 mg/m 3 ) is generated when cooking four dishes, and it has the greatest impact on health and economy. In 2021, the contributions of being exposed to the PM 2.5 environment in the kitchen to the daily all-cause deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were more than 3.78, 15.50 and 3201.15 respectively. The indirect total economic loss caused by cooking PM 2.5 in Liaoning province was more than 844.53 × 10⁴ RMB. While meeting the temperature requirements, it is urgent to solve the problem of the high concentration of PM 2.5 in kitchens in cold areas to reduce the impact of the kitchen environment on health and economy.