Dec 15 2020 Read 575 Times Particulate emissions from cooking stay in the atmosphere for longer than previously thought, making a prolonged contribution to poor air quality and human health, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Birmingham succeeded in demonstrating how cooking emissions – which account for up to 10 per cent of particulate pollution in the UK – are able to survive in the atmosphere over several days, rather than being broken up and dispersed. The team collaborated with experts at the University of Bath, the Central Laser Facility and Diamond Light Source to show how these fatty acid molecules react with molecules found naturally in the earth’s atmosphere. During the reaction process, a coating, or crust is formed around the outside of the particle that protects the fatty acid inside from gases such as ozone which would otherwise break up the particles.