Gas cooking has been an integral part of many households for centuries. However, scientific studies are currently pointing to the risks associated with them. Why not cook with gas?
Do you have a gas stove at home? So you should pay attention to that and consider switching to other cooking methods. Recently, the gas appliance has been called the silent killer of households, and new research warns of serious health risks associated with its use.
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Source: Youtube
Gas cooking
For a long time, cooking with gas was considered a normal and harmless activity. However, scientists checked certain facts and revealed that this is not really the case. Gas burners are said to be responsible for the premature deaths of up to 40,000 Europeans every year. Spanish scientists came to these conclusions in the first scientific study of its kind.
The crux of the problem
Nitrogen oxides are a risk, which are created indoors when natural gas is burned during cooking. A large amount of aerosol nanoparticles are released, which are, for example, much more harmful to the human body compared to emissions from cars.
The researchers measured the air quality in residential buildings where an electric or gas stove is used for cooking. And they compared the results with the air quality they measured outside. And how did it turn out? NO2 levels outdoors have been shown to be three times lower than in a kitchen where cooking is done on a gas stove.
The threat of nanoparticles
During cooking on a gas stove, fine particles with a size of 1-3 nm, which are called aerosol nanoparticles, are released into the surrounding air. They are so small that they easily penetrate the lungs and deep parts of the respiratory system. Compared to the larger PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles, which are already routinely regulated, aerosol nanoparticles have no limits and thus pose a much greater risk to human health.
Domestic source of emissions
Research conducted in a house that mimicked a normal home environment showed that up to 10 quadrillion aerosol nanoparticles are released per kilogram of natural gas burned. Compared to car emissions, this is an alarming number!
A gasoline combustion engine produces a much smaller proportion of these harmful particles. The problem is primarily the fact that the kitchen is a closed space where aerosol nanoparticles accumulate, while emissions from cars are dispersed outside into the surrounding air. Because of this, people can inhale 10 to 100 times more harmful particles when cooking than when moving near a busy road.
A warning and a scientist’s opinion
“Ninety percent of our time is spent indoors. In doing so, we try to maintain warmth and a sense of security in our homes. But we rarely think about the pollution we breathe at home,” says Vida Sharifi from the British University of Sheffield, who led the research.
“Heating and cooking is only one of the components of indoor air pollution, but it is one of the most significant,” adds Sharifi. In addition, apartment owners get well-sealed windows to prevent the escape of today’s expensive heat. However, this also exposes them to much higher levels of indoor air pollution.
Recommendation
Inhaling fumes from gas cooking can lead to serious health problems such as asthma, cancer or lung damage. Therefore, it is necessary not only to use a hood when cooking with gas, but also to ventilate regularly and sufficiently. Nevertheless, some percentage of pollutants still remain in the home.
Resources: www.energozrouti.cz, www.hrot24.cz, www.ekolist.cz
