Open AccessCharacterization of Naturally Occurring Alpha-Diketone Emissions and Exposures at a Coffee Roasting Facility and Associated Retail Café
Author(s) -
Hannah Echt,
Mariah Dittmore,
Mae Coker,
Nancy Beaudet,
G. Croteau,
Martin Cohen,
Christopher D. Simpson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
annals of work exposures and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 2398-7316
pISSN - 2398-7308
DOI - 10.1093/annweh/wxaa148
Subject(s) - diacetyl , chemistry , sorbent , gas chromatography , environmental science , food science , pulp and paper industry , waste management , chromatography , engineering , organic chemistry , adsorption
Alpha-diketones such as diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione have been used as artificial flavorings in a variety of industries and are produced naturally when food products such as coffee beans are roasted. Exposure to these compounds has been associated with bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and severe respiratory disease. In the current paper, we (i) evaluate which steps in the coffee production process are associated with the highest alpha-diketone emissions at a small craft coffee roaster and associated café, (ii) determine the extent to which direct-reading measurements of CO, CO2, and total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can serve as lower-cost surrogate indicators for diacetyl concentrations, and (iii) conduct a limited emissions study to quantify the effect that the process variable of roast type has on diacetyl emissions from grinding beans.