The United States faces a new debate: whether to put an end to gas stoves once and for all. The discussion focuses on the fact that the fumes from these combustions can be much more dangerous to health than previously believed.

The regulation is there. The safety of gas cookers worries US officials. To the point that some US bodies, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission and various municipalities, are considering ways to regulate these emissions. It is not yet clear what these measures will be. In principle, banning these systems was denied, but more and more scientists are warning of the risks of this technology, and the possibility of a ban seems to have resurfaced.

Dangerous burn. Combustion of gas used as a heat source in kitchens all over the world. Although it does not emit any visible smoke, it does release gases and particles that can affect our health, especially our respiratory system.

Specialists’ attention has been turned to two components in particular: nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter (PM2.5) smaller than 2.5 microns, very small particles that are formed during combustion and then pass into the air.

Perhaps even more alarming is the revelation revealed by a study published last year in the journal Nature. Environmental Science and Technologyobserving that even stoves release small amounts of methane.

Lungs are at risk. These emissions have an impact on health, and according to some studies this can start in childhood. Various studies have shown the relationship between gas stoves and the onset of childhood asthma.

In 2013, a study (a meta-analysis) based on previous studies observed that children exposed to this type of cuisine were more than 32% likely to develop asthma. Another study, also published in 2022 and conducted in the USA, calculated that 13% of asthma cases in the country could be attributed to gas stoves.

Nitrogen dioxide can also exacerbate asthma symptoms in adults and has been linked to the onset and development of chronic inflammatory lung disease. It is a gas that we are generally exposed to in traffic. Gas stoves emit significantly less than internal combustion engines, but they do so indoors.

Minimize exposure. It may not be time to change the kitchen, but there are always mechanisms to reduce the risk of problems arising from these kitchens. The first and most obvious is to ventilate kitchens well. This is especially true when cooking, but is always recommended. We can only do this with windows or using extractors or other similar systems.

Air purification systems can also work. These systems can filter out some of the contaminants emitted in our kitchen. The downsides are that not all gases can be filtered through these systems, but they trap other pollutants from outside our homes.

Why do we still use gas? Gas stoves have their advantages. On the one hand, they heat up quickly and can reach high temperatures. So they give us more control over the temperature at which we can cook. They are also generally cheaper under normal conditions than alternatives such as ceramic hobs and induction hobs.

Bad time for gas. Gaz was one of the leading actors of 2022. The war in Ukraine has significantly affected our ability to access this resource and its prices have skyrocketed, unleashing an energy crisis and driving down energy prices and the prices of many other commodities.

In this context, it is not surprising that the move to abandon this energy source in the kitchens is gaining traction. To this we must add the problem of climate change and its connection to hydrocarbons such as the gases we use in the kitchen. Both the gases produced by combustion and the methane itself fall into the category of greenhouse gases that experts are concerned about.

Image | kwon junho