Gas hobs release nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter (Image: Getty)
Cooking on a gas hob can expose you to more indoor air than levels found on the UK’s busiest roads, an investigation found. Levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a byproduct of burning natural gas, and toxic particles (PM2.5) remained elevated for several hours in tests using air quality monitors. Consumer champion Which? warned that people who spend too long in the same room where they cooked could therefore be exposed to levels well in excess of World Health Organisation’s guidelines.
Emily Seymour, Which? energy and sustainability editor, said: “It’s shocking to think that something as routine as cooking dinner could be releasing harmful pollutants into our own homes, but our snapshot research shows that once it spikes, air pollution can spread rapidly through the house and linger for long periods of time.”
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Five volunteers took part in the research and were asked to fry food in oil.
During experiments in which the kitchen doors and windows were kept closed, participants experienced levels of PM2.5 exceeding 100µg/m³.
The highest level recoded was 650µg/m³ for one volunteer frying Padron peppers. The WHO recommends that average exposures should not exceed an average of 15µg/m³ over 24 hours.
Meanwhile, air pollution levels on ’s notoriously busy Marylebone Road measured an average of 33µg/m³ for NO2 and 14µg/m³ for PM2.5.
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When monitors were placed in an adjoining room to the kitchen, levels of PM2.5 still reached high peaks and remained elevated for some hours.
However, pollution levels dropped much more quickly when doors and windows were opened before cooking.
Ms Seymour added: “We still don’t know the full impact of indoor pollutants on our health but if it is something you are concerned about, ventilating by using your extractor hood and opening windows can make a big difference.
“If you are using a gas hob you could consider switching to induction when you next need to replace your hob.”