Analysis of cooking oil fumes by ultraviolet spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

This paper investigated the components, especially aldehydes, in the fume condensates from four kinds of cooking oil using ultraviolet (UV) spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It was observed that there was a great change of the UV absorption spectra from the results of the unheated oil to the results of the fume after heat treatment (190-200, 230-240, and 270-280 degrees C). There was a strong peak within the wavelength range of 260-270 nm in each condensate sample. From the GC-MS results, it was tentatively deduced that there were some 2,4-dialkylenaldehydes and other conjugated compounds in the condensates. The results showed there were large amounts of hexanal and 2-heptenal in the cooking oil fume and that the total aldehyde peak areas of the condensates from four kinds of oil were around 30-50% of the total peak area at 270-280 degrees C.