When we moved into our new house about five years ago, one of the things I was excited about was the gas stove. I love to cook and, compared to our old electric hotplates, cooking with gas is much more enjoyable. Gas is instant, the flames are oddly comforting and having grown up in a house with passionate cooks, the gas stove evoked many fond cooking memories.
But then more research started to emerge, and the nagging question arose, is cooking with gas safe? About as safe as passive smoking, that is: not very safe at all. Not great news to me and the almost 40 per cent of Australians who use gas cooktops.
A landmark 2018 study that showed children growing up in households that used gas stoves for cooking were about 12 per cent more likely to develop asthma, which is equivalent to the elevated risk of asthma caused by living in a household with a smoker.
Natural gas
It may be ‘natural’ but that doesn’t mean you should inhale it. When gas is ignited, it produces small amounts of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde which can cause inflammation in the airways and, in the case of asthma, worsen symptoms. But also, who knows what else it’s doing to otherwise healthy people? We tend to cook in enclosed spaces where these irritants can accumulate and cause harm, especially to the vulnerable, like children and the elderly.
Despite the health risks being known, gas is still widely perceived as safe and clean, although public education is now starting to try and counter that misconception. Much like how asbestos was seen as a good option for insulation before public education and policy change caught up with the facts, there will be a time when the thought of lighting a gas stove in the middle of your home will no doubt seem foolish.
Steps to mitigate the harm
If you have the budget, replacing your gas cooktop with electric or induction is an obvious solution. Given we are living in the era when we are rapidly moving towards electrifying everything, replacing gas with electricity is not only good for our health but good for the planet. If you have rooftop solar then you could quickly recoup the cost of changing to electric.
If you can’t replace your stovetop, then cooking with the extractor fan on the range hood is important as is opening windows or doors, where possible, to create airflow and mitigate the build-up of inhaled irritants. You can also buy inexpensive portable induction hotplates which are a good option if you’re renting or not wanting to spend big.
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