Assessment of Air Quality Impacts from Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens: Comparison with Major Urban Emission Sources

Wood-fired ovens used in pizzerias represent a potential source of air pollution, particularly in urban areas where they are most concentrated. The combination of wood combustion and cooking operations is a distinctive feature of these appliances and results in a unique emission profile. Local emission inventories indicate that restaurants and pizzerias with wood-fired ovens have a non-negligible contribution to the emission of several air pollutants, especially particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This study presents an integrated framework combining data-driven source identification, experimentally measured emission factors, atmospheric dispersion modelling, and air-quality observations to assess the impact of wood-fired pizza ovens in the urban context of Milan (Italy). To validate and strengthen the robustness of the modelling framework, analogous simulations were also performed for road traffic and heating systems, representing the major urban emission sources, and compared with measurements from the ARPA Lombardia monitoring network. Results showed that wood-fired oven emissions are concentrated in the city center and can contribute appreciably to local primary particulate matter concentrations (0.085 – 3.34 µg m⁻³ PM₁₀). While their contribution to NO_x concentrations is limited (0.0044 - 1.75 µg m⁻³), simulations indicated a measurable influence on biomass-burning tracers, including levoglucosan (19.70 - 34.28%) and benzo(a)pyrene (34.95 - 37.47%). Overall, wood-fired pizza ovens are not a dominant source of urban air pollution but represent a relevant local contributor to particulate matter and combustion-related tracers.