I found on a recent visit that cashews are still steam roasted where I lived in Northeastern Brazil (Ceara)
Toxicity of smoke from roasting has been documented in India. K. Usha and V.R. Prakasam "Acute Inhalation Toxicitiy of Chashewnut Smoke in White rate Rattus Norvegicus" in Environment and Health by Arvind Kumar 2004. And in Brazil: Contact dermatitis caused by smoke from cashew nut shell oil burning in a Lithraea molleoides sensitized man and local skin memory, RJ Vieira - Clinical Toxicology, 2006 - csa.com A recent paper has recommended steam boiling instead of roasting in India to reduce pollution. www.scipub.org/fulltext/ajes/ajes64324-328.pdf No mention of toxic vapors from the oils. I suspect that the oil is stripped by the steam and diluted in the condensed water. Gasification has been tested as an alternative to combustion: Gasification of cashew nut shells for thermal application in local food processing factory N Tippayawong, C Chaichana. - Energy for Sustainable, 2010 - Elsevier Tom -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Crispin Pemberton-Pigott Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 8:09 AM To: 'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves' Cc: 'Hugh McLaughlin' Subject: Re: [Stoves] Testing Jatropha-seed stoves for toxic emissions Dear Paul and Kevin >On the other hand, if Jatropha is used and if it is at a stage of > combustion where it is making a visibly smokey fire, it is probably > dangerous through containing non-consumed J-toxins. I am just tossing into the conversation that cashew nuts (also called crowshaw nuts in W Africa) are not processed and used in some countries because the technique get getting the acids and toxins off the seed are unknown. The smoke from fires used to slow roast the outside off the piles of cashew nuts is extremely toxic - a well-known risk in Brazil and Mozambique for workers. Where's there's smoke there's toxins. Regards Crispin _______________________________________________ Stoves mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address Stoves mailing list to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists .org for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site: http://www.bioenergylists.org/ [email protected] http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists .org _______________________________________________ Stoves mailing list to Send a Message to the list, use the email address Stoves mailing list to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site: http://www.bioenergylists.org/ [email protected] http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org
