A gas cooker is much worse for air quality than an electric one as more harmful substances are released in kitchens cooking with gas. This can lead to health problems such as asthma, a European study by the Dutch organisation TNO reveals.
For the study, 250 participants in seven countries (the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, Slovakia, United Kingdom and Romania) all cooked at home for at least three out of seven days a week so nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM2.5) could be measured in daily practice. About 80% of participants cooked with gas, while 20% used an electric stove.
"Cooking with gas releases much more harmful nitrogen dioxide. In more than half of cases, we saw that World Health Organisation standards were exceeded," TNO researcher Piet Jacobs said on Flemish radio on Wednesday. "In households cooking electrically, we saw no exceedances at all."
Belgian vs Dutch households
Cooking on gas increases the risk of asthma, especially for children, said Jacobs. "They are 20% more likely to get asthma in households where cooking is done on gas." Additionally, NO2 can also lead to lung complaints and cardiovascular disease.
In Belgium, however, cooking on gas is not as frequent as in the Netherlands. "About 25% of Belgian households use gas. In the Netherlands, there are far more gas cookers: about 65% of households use them."
Those who want to continue cooking on gas would do well to have a good cooker hood – one that actually drains to the outside, said Jacobs. "Nowadays, many households have a recirculation cooker hood. This mainly filters dirty odours from the air and then blows them back into the kitchen."
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In that case, however, nitrogen and other harmful substances (such as fine dust) are not captured properly. "Those who have such a cooker hood are better off opening another window when cooking."
Jacobs also stressed that the cooker hood should be turned on whenever the gas cooker is used – even if it is just when boiling an egg or putting on the kettle. "If you put on a pan of water, nitrogen dioxide is also released. Especially with an open kitchen, it spreads to the whole house."
