Assessment of kitchen emissions using a backpropagation neural network model based on urinary hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Kitchen emissions are mixed indoor air pollutants with adverse health effects, but the large-scale assessment is limited by costly equipment and survey methods. This study aimed to discuss the application of backpropagation (BP) neural network models in the assessment of kitchen emissions based on the exposure marker. A total of 3686 participants were recruited for the kitchen survey, and their sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). After excluding the confounders, 365 participants were selected to assess their urinary hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) concentrations by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Two BP neural network models were then set up using the survey and detection data from the 365 participants and used to predict the total urinary OH-PAHs concentrations of all participants. The total urinary OH-PAHs and 1-hydroxy-naphthalene (1-OHNap) concentrations were significantly higher among the 365 participants with poor sleep quality (global PSQI score > 5; P 5 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.284, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.082–1.525 for participants with predicted total urinary OH-PAHs concentrations of over 1.897 μg/mmol creatinine in model 1, and OR = 1.467, 95% CI = 1.240–1.735 for participants with predicted total urinary OH-PAHs concentrations of over 2.253 μg/mmol creatinine in model 2) after adjusting for the confounders. Findings suggest that the BP neural network model is suitable for assessing kitchen emissions, and the urinary OH-PAHs concentrations can be taken as the model outlay. [Display omitted] •BP neural network model can be taken as an assessment method for kitchen emissions.•Exposure markers like total urinary OH-PAHs can be taken as the model outlay.•People with higher predicted total urinary OH-PAHs levels had poorer sleep quality.•BP neural network model can be applied to environmental health research. The BP neural network model can be applied in assessing kitchen emissions, and the urinary OH-PAHs concentrations can be taken as the model outlay.