Pollution Study Blames Barbecue Lighter Fluids

Back yard chefs, worried that smoking briquettes might worsen Southern California’s already dirty air, now can draw on new scientific evidence to choose the least-polluting method for firing up their barbecues.

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the South Coast Air Quality Management District found that common charcoal lighter fluids--used by 90% of Southern California barbecuers--are three times more polluting than electric starters and small metal chimney starters, which use wadded-up newspaper as kindling.

The study also concluded that using gas or propane-fueled barbecues is even less polluting than the cleanest method for lighting briquettes.

The findings are expected to add new ammunition to the AQMD’s plans to either ban charcoal lighter fluids altogether or require manufacturers to reformulate them.

The district is not scheduled to adopt regulations until 1992. In the meantime, however, the AQMD urges residents of the four-county South Coast Air Basin to take the findings to heart.

The AQMD’s 20-year plan to bring the South Coast Air Basin into compliance with federal clean-air standards by the year 2007 depends upon tough new controls on industry, motor vehicles and consumer products, from underarm deodorants to power lawn mowers.

Back yard barbecues spew out an average of four tons a day of smog-causing reactive hydrocarbons, more than are emitted by any one of several oil refineries in the basin. During the summer, when barbecuing is at its peak, daily emissions are higher.

“People can go ahead and barbecue and just approach it in a little different way and get rid of (almost) as much emissions as we would by controlling the entire aerospace industry,” said AQMD Executive Officer James M. Lents.

During 25-minute tests, district researchers measured hydrocarbon emissions from six lighting methods--chimney starters, electric starters, treated wood chips, cube starters, self-lighting charcoal and lighter fluid. Two pounds of charcoal were used for each test. In addition, researchers tested two other products--an ethanol gel placed under the charcoal and “bag-light” charcoal in which the entire bag is placed in the barbecue and set afire. However, results of these two tests were inconclusive.

Cube starters and self-lighting briquettes were twice as polluting as chimney and electric starters, and fluids were 3 to 3 1/2 times as dirty as chimney and electric starters. A follow-up test confirmed the findings.

“We would recommend that they use one of the other alternatives in light of the fact that we’ve seen that lighter fluid is considerably more polluting than some of these other alternatives that are readily available,” AQMD spokeswoman Claudia Keith said Wednesday.

AQMD researchers also found that emission and ignition characteristics varied from one batch of charcoal to the next made by the same manufacturer.

Sandy Burton, administrative director of the Barbecue Industry Assn., headquartered in Naperville, Ill., said she was surprised by the findings. She questioned whether the district’s conclusions were “statistically significant” because they were based on only two tests of ignition methods.

Suzanne Vetrano, senior environmental engineer with the Kingsford Product Co., a charcoal manufacturer owned by Clorox Co., said there is no widely agreed upon protocol for testing charcoal emissions.

“It may be a very good attempt. It may stand up to technical scrutiny. Again it may not,” Vetrano said of the AQMD test.

Burton and Vetrano both said they had just received a summary of the report and will reserve most of their comments until the industry’s own tests are completed in several months.

Burton reiterated the industry’s contention that it is impossible to reformulate lighter fluid to make it less polluting. She noted that U.S. consumers spend $114 million a year on the products.

Nationwide, 70% of barbecuers choose lighter fluid to ignite their briquettes.

Overall, Burton said her trade group accounts for annual sales nationwide of $6.2 billion. The association represents manufacturers and suppliers of barbecue equipment and products from barbecue grills, accessories and lighter fluids to food companies that make barbecue sauces.

Lents was enthusiastic about the “chimneys,” which are metal cylinders about 8 inches in diameter with a bottom grate and vents for air. A sheet of crumpled newspaper is placed on the grate and the briquettes are placed on top of the newspaper.

“You get coals heated up faster and more thoroughly and it doesn’t pollute. You don’t need an electrical power supply to do it. But right near your house the electrical method seems to work quite well, too,” Lents said.

TESTING CHARCOAL LIGHTERS

Researchers at the South Coast Air Quality Management District compared air pollution emissions from eight different methods for lighting charcoal briquettes. Among their findings: ELECTRIC STARTERSignited about 80% of the coals within 20 minutes and were among the least polluting methods. But electrical outlets limit their use. And, when more than two pounds of briquettes are used, the standard 500-watt electrical starter “would probably not provide a timely start.” CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUIDalso lighted about 80% of the coals within 20 minutes. Fluid requires a one- to two-minute waiting period before igniting. Briquettes can be started with less fuel than recommended on the container. Lighter fluid is the most polluting ignition method of the eight tested. SELF-LIGHTING CHARCOALwas 95% lighted within 20 minutes. There was a noticeable chemical odor when the bag was left open or not tightly sealed. Good storage is required to minimize emissions once the bag has been opened. Self-lighting charcoal was second to lighter fluid as the most-polluting method. CUBE STARTERSlight about 85% of the coals within 20 minutes. Careful placement of cubes (three were used for two pounds of charcoal) was required to assure maximum efficiency of starting. Cube starters are only slightly less polluting than self-starting charcoal. TREATED WOOD CHIPSlight about 95% of the coals in 20 minutes. This method requires a bottom grill to prevent the charcoal from touching chips. Chips that touch charcoal tend to smoke. An oily or greasy film remained on the barbecue bottom after use. Pollution tests inconclusive. CHIMNEYSlight all the coals within 20 minutes. This method had the shortest observable flame time--about two minutes. Appears to require the shortest overall time to fully ignite coals. This method was the least polluting of all. BAG LIGHT CHARCOALlighted about 70% of the coals’ surface area within 20 minutes. The bag contained 2.5 pounds of charcoal, or 25% more than the standard amount used for the tests. Appears to be the most convenient method, assuming the user’s barbecue and the bag size are compatible. Pollution results were inconclusive. ETHANOL GELlighted about 65% of the coal surface. Careful placement of the gel and care in piling the charcoal over the gel are required to assure that gel gets sufficient oxygen. Pollution results inconclusive.