[diziet_sma]

Or perhaps cooking? Cooking can really spike AQI if ventilation is suboptimal.

Another potential explanation is cleaning products.

I think these are both far more likely than perfume, as there is a much stronger link between AQI and lung cancer than perfume and lung cancer (if there is any at all).

[userbinator]

Professional chefs are largely not Asian women, and cook a lot more. Has there been a similar trend in them?

Cleaning products is a possibility.

Incense is another one --- those who burn incense may not consider it smoking, but any burning plant matter is going to emit similar products of combustion.

[omcnoe]

Commercial kitchens generally are better equipped for proper ventilation.