Today, we will be looking at another invisible source of pollution in the home. With pollutants this deadly, it makes the topic of air pollution rather personal. The offending object in question is the gas stove. While people have been transitioning from gas cooking to induction cookers in the modern home, a large proportion of people in the world still use gas stoves, some believing that it produces a higher quality of food.
Gas stoves may be cleaner than other forms of stoves which use fuels like wood and coal, however, as with any form of combustion, it is capable of outputting harmful gases:
As you can see in the above news report video, gas stoves have been known to sometimes emit gases like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO). These emission levels can vary but are much higher faulty and dirty gas stoves. Each of these gases is harmful in their own ways:
- Nitrogen dioxide can dissolve in moisture in the air to form nitric acid, and these tiny acid aerosols can be easily inhaled into the lungs where it can cause irritation and inflammation (Hill, 2010). NO2 is also shown to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, thus increasing susceptibility to colds (Ciencewicki, 2007).
- Carbon monoxide is often known as the ‘silent killer’, able to cause the loss of consciousness, heart failure and death of those exposed, often without them realising it (Hill, 2010).
- Formaldehyde similarly causes irritation in the eyes and nasal passage, as well as headaches and nausea, and is also a known carcinogen in higher doses (Hill, 2010; Minnesota State Department of Health, n.d.).
These gases are mostly a product of incomplete burning, which is inefficient burning that is not fully able to reduce the natural gas to carbon dioxide and water vapour. This means that these gases are more likely to occur when the gas stove is not functioning properly. You can tell that this problem is occurring when you notice an orange flame from your gas stove, rather than a blue one. When you notice this, have your gas stove repaired in order to prevent exposure to the above toxic gases. Also, you can attempt to clean the air intake holes to allow the gas stove to have more ventilation, allowing the burner to have enough inflow of oxygen for burning (Lee, n.d).
Moreover, these gases are able to accumulate in the kitchen if there is poor ventilation. Not having an outflow of air prevents these gases from escaping. Even in a properly functioning stove, these gases are released in minute concentrations, and, if allowed to accumulate in an enclosed room, they can also bring about harmful effects to the exposed person. Thus, always ensure sufficient ventilation while cooking. You can do so by always turning on the stove hoods and vents when cooking, and if possible, by opening up windows and doors in the kitchen (Nicole, 2014).
Author: Alicia Tiu
References:
Ciencewicki, J., & Jaspers, I. (2007). Air Pollution and Respiratory Viral Infection. Inhalation Toxicology, 19(14), pp. 1135-1146. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958370701665434
Hill, M. (2010). Air pollution. In Understanding Environmental Pollution, pp. 117-154. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840654.006
Lee, V. (n.d.). Why Is My Gas Stove Burning Orange? Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.hunker.com/12003355/why-is-my-gas-stove-burning-orange
Minnesota State Department of Health. (n.d.). Formaldehyde in Your Home. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/air/toxins/formaldehyde.htm
Nicole, W. (2014). Cooking Up Indoor Air Pollution: Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122(1). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.122-A27
Roberts, D. (2020, May 07). Gas stoves can generate unsafe levels of indoor air pollution. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/5/7/21247602/gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air-pollution-health-risks