Gas stoves can be a health threat! Study reveals

Gas stoves are a significant part of our lives. Even if they do not directly contribute to our daily tasks, they indeed play a role in the preparation of our food, making it a vital resource. Gas stoves give you complete control over heat and help you regulate it to make the desired food you want. Further, its availability and lower cost make it an ideal choice.

But there is a piece of bad news for the gas stove supporters as Purdue University has conducted a research which showed that these appliances are a health hazard for us. The research showed that upon the usage of the gas stove, there is the emission of toxic nano particles that can have implications on your health, in a negative way.

Gas stoves: What does the research say about it?

How are these toxic to our health? (Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash)

Purdue University did their research in a "tiny house" laboratory in which they monitored the air. The lab consisted of advanced air quality instrumentation which looked out for particles smaller than particulate matter 2.5. This is exactly what made this research a success.

Earlier, the emissions from gas stoves were determined till PM 2.5 and no one dwelled deeper. In this research, they found that gas stove emits a huge amount of nanocluster aerosols. The levels of it were found to be even more than the emissions from petrol or diesel.

Inhaling these nanoparticles is not good for health as they can easily reach our lungs and move on to other body organs. In addition to this study, it has been found that there is a connection between gas stoves and asthma in children. Children with gas stoves in their homes have a higher risk of getting asthma.

Since in winter the windows are closed, the emissions become more dangerous and more prevalent. Thus, this is an issue that needs to be more talked about and requires more research for more conclusive steps.

How to be safe from these nanoparticle emissions?

How to minimize the risks? (Photo by Sage Friedman on Unsplash)

In order to protect yourself and your children, one can take a look at the following steps:

Make sure the kitchen is well ventilated so that the particles do not cause much harm.
One can also make use of exhaust. Using this will remove the particles in the air and keep your lungs safe while you are using the stove.
Make sure you ignite the stove as soon as you turn on the burner, to prevent excess particles in the air.
Other alternative can be explored. Electric induction stoves can be used as they run on electricity and do not emit any particles.

Gas stoves are an age-old appliance in our kitchen and are quite irreplaceable. However, recent research has made it clear that it could be dangerous for our health. So, for our well being and health, it is advisable to consider some alternatives or try to use these appliances in a more open environment rather than closed ones.