Cooking on gas (Pexles photo)
While many professional and hobbyist cooks prefer gas stoves to electric alternatives, researchers now say they produce nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter — dangerous toxins found in traffic fumes. If true, these substances can irritate the lungs and can enter the bloodstream – increasing the risk of heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.
Children and older people are the most vulnerable to this type of air pollution. One study says gas stoves cause increases in indoor air pollutants several times higher than what floats on a busy city street.
More in-
“Many of the children were actually exposed to more pollution at home in the evenings, when one parent cooked, than they actually saw on the way to school,” says Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London.
Another study suggests that one in eight childhood asthma cases in the US is the result of exposure to gas stoves. Prof. Kelly, who was not involved in this particular report, says gas stoves are “a major source of indoor air pollution.”
“If the household has an asthmatic child, he will have more symptoms than if he didn’t have a gas stove,” explains Prof. Kelly.
Another study of residents in Southern California reports that use of gas stoves routinely exposes users to levels of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde that exceed the safety threshold for outdoor pollution set by US authorities. The problem is more severe in smaller homes without adequate ventilation.
“It can be argued that the risk associated with a gas stove is expected to be greater than living in a polluted city,” insists Prof. Stefan Luft from the University of Copenhagen.
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