With the gas stove you breathe 10 to 100 times more particles than sitting in traffic

The plans of induction cooking they eliminate fire risks, reduce the danger for children, allow savings on the bill. Plus, compared to traditional ones gas stove, allow you to breathe better. This is stated in a study conducted by researchers at Purdue University in the United States and recently published in the journal Pnas Nexuswhich highlighted how the flame increases the possibility of development asthma or others respiratory diseases.

The size of the particles

Previous research, carried out by a team of US and Australian experts and appeared on the pages ofInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health by December 2022, it had already established that approximately 13% of cases of childhood asthma was attributable to the use of gas stoves, monitoring particles in the air larger than three nanometers in diameter.

The new work therefore focused on particles with a smaller diameter, between one and three nanometres, so tiny that they can reach all areas of the respiratory system, then spreading to other organs.

A high-tech meter

To carry out the experiment, scientists used the laboratory called Zero energy design guidance for engineers (Zedge), a sort of small house equipped with special sensors. Here they carried out the simulations using a cutting-edge instrument for the detection. It is a scanning particle sizer, that is, a new electric mobility spectrometer that combines the Scanning mobility particle sizer system with condensation detector (Smps+C) from the German company Grimm Aerosol Technik and the Particle size magnifier (Psm) from the Finnish company Airmodus. “This combination allows you to detect particles starting from one nanometer in diameter and is the only one that allows you to monitor particles smaller than two nanometers,” he specifies Brandon Boorassociate professor at Purdue University’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering, as well as head of research.

Toxic indoor air

Thanks to this device, researchers have collected a large amount of high-quality data. They then compared them with known levels of outdoor air pollution, more monitored and regulated than those concerning indoor air. They found that up to 10 trillion aerosol particles could be emitted for every pound of gas, equal to or more than those produced by gasoline or diesel vehicles. In practice, this means that you could breathe 10 to 100 times more particles by boiling potatoes on the flame in the kitchen than by being stuck in traffic at rush hour.

High doses especially in children

The experiment demonstrated, among other things, that theaerosol it is very persistent and spreads quickly in the house. Although many particles ended up on various surfaces, it is estimated that 10 billion to a billion billion could settle in the airways and then lungs of an adult. This quantity is even higher in children: the smaller the organism, the more concentrated the dose is.

Not to mention that the aerosol from combustion could also easily mix with larger particles from butter, oil or any other ingredient on the stove, giving rise to new particles with unique characteristics.

Good ventilation is needed

Of course, this doesn’t mean that anyone who has a gas stove should immediately get rid of it to buy an electric induction hob. The important thing is that, in the meantime, you implement some measures to make the environment as healthy as possible. “Ventilation is key“, says Boor. “Turn on the stove hood can help eliminate harmful pollutants. Alternatively or in combination, fans can be used, air filters installed and windows opened periodically. Our next challenge will be to reduce exposure to all types of pollutants present in the domestic environment“.

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