Air pollution from stove gas may be more harmful to health than secondhand tobacco smoke, reveals a new study led by Stanford University scientists.
The research concludes that cooking with gas stoves, whether cylinder or natural, can generate concentrations of benzene, a chemical compound associated with blood cancers such as leukemia, well above the limits recommended by the World Health Organization. .
Leaving a single stove burner on for 45 minutes leads to the emission of higher levels of benzene than are found in secondhand tobacco smoke, warns the peer-reviewed study published in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology.
In addition, concentrations of the chemical compound can remain in the air of a house or apartment for up to six hours after the gas has been turned off, circulating through several rooms.
The same study shows that the use of exhaust fans does not help reduce gas pollution, since most simply circulate polluted air around the room instead of expelling harmful chemicals outside.
No significant differences were found between stoves of different brands and years. The concentration of benzene in the air was only below average in well-ventilated kitchens.
“We would never deliberately stand next to the exhaust pipe of a car, respecting its pollution, but we willingly stand next to our stoves breathing the pollution they emit,” compared Rob Jackson, one of the researchers responsible for the study, quoted by The Guardian. newspaper.
In contrast, induction cookers do not emit any level of benzene, while electric cookers emit between 10 and 25 times less than gas cookers.
Source: TSF
