2023-12-25 07:00:31
Favored by great chefs for the particular taste it gives to dishes, cooking with gas is also very widespread in French homes. However, this cooking method would not be without health risks. This is what a European study suggests the impact of gas cooking on indoor air quality in homes. We take stock.
Gas cooking: undeniable advantages…
Very widespread in French homes, gas cooking has multiple advantages. Above all, it allows you to precisely control the cooking of food by adjusting the flame (low or more or less high heat). This setting modulates the heating temperature more effectively than on an electric hob. By instantly diffusing the heat from the burners, gas cooking also allows food to be cooked more quickly than on an electric hob.
However, this method of cooking would not be without danger. for health according to data existing in the scientific literature and the World Health Organization (WHO). The body indicates that children living in homes equipped with gas stoves have a 20% increased risk of suffering from respiratory illnesses due to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted by gas cooking. A European study published in recent days confirms that caution is required.
To know ! Exceeding WHO limits for nitrogen dioxide can cause inflammation of the airways, coughing, wheezing and an increase in asthma attacks, particularly in children.
Read also – Tips to avoid the risks of barbecue cooking
…but risky use for health
Commissioned by the NGO CLASP and the Respire association, which campaign for better air quality, this study was carried out over five months by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research. To carry out their investigations, the scientists installed sensors in 35 homes in France as well as nearly a hundred in six other European countries customary to gas cooking (Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Romania, United Kingdom).
After analyzing the data, the researchers were able to note that:
Nitrogen dioxide concentration levels were almost twice as high in homes using gas cooking appliances than in homes using electric cooking appliances. 53% of French households using gas cooking exceeded the daily threshold recommended by the WHO for exposure to nitrogen dioxide. Pollution peaks in French homes cooking with gas persisted for several hours. Their intensity increased with the duration of operation of the cooking appliances, unlike electric stoves. Recirculating air hoods or hoods with exhaust to the outside were not effective enough because kitchens retained a large part of the pollution. (This inefficiency would in fact be linked to poor use by households). Read also – Toxic effects of air pollution and myocardial infarction
When will we transition to fully electric cooking?
For the NGO CLASP and the Respire association, these conclusions attest to the severity of air pollution and health risks linked to the use of gas cooking appliances. They therefore urge governments to take up this public health issue and implement measures to protect populations through a transition to electrification. They also want an indicator of the pollution rate to be mentioned on the energy labels of household appliances sold within the European Union.
In the meantime, it is advisable to favor electric cooking, to use ventilation hoods correctly and to ventilate your home more frequently!
Read also – Heating and carbon monoxide: Beware of poisoning!
Déborah L., Doctor in Pharmacy
Sources
– Gas cooking, a silent threat to French homes.respire-asso.org. Accessed November 13, 2023.
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