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Switching from gas to electric stove reduces ‘indoor pollution’, says new study
In addition to eating healthy, the type of stove you use to cook your meals matters too. Using the unhealthy and conventional method for cooking could cause ‘health hazards’.
A new study determines the link between the type of stove used for cooking and its impact on health – you don’t want to cook on a gas stove after learning about its harmful effects.
Cooking on gas stove causes ‘known health hazard’
The research by scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, published in Science Daily, found that switching to electric induction stoves from gas stoves reduces “indoor pollution” by nearly 50 percent.
Nearly 38 percent of American families use the gas stove without realizing the harmful effects it can have on their health. The research team studied two groups – a controlled group that used a gas stove and the other with an electric induction stove.
They observed the quality of air before and after cooking on respective stoves for a week to find a “56 percent reduction in average daily NO2 concentrations in the induction stove group compared to the control group using gas stoves”.
The study notes that short-term exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide can cause several health issues, including aggravation of respiratory diseases, hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and premature mortality.
Furthermore, long-term exposure to the harmful gas is reportedly associated with premature mortality along with asthma onset.
Electric stove has multiple benefits
On the other hand, people who use electric stoves were so satisfied with the results that they didn’t want to return to using a gas stove.
“These results suggest that decarbonization energy transitions can improve health by reducing indoor nitrogen dioxide while also addressing the holistic health ramifications of energy use in low-income populations,” said first author Misbath Daouda.
Electric stoves heat faster and maintain a cool cooking surface and you don’t have to worry about fire accidents or gas leakage.
The latest research comes after New York’s 2023 law banning gas-powered heaters, cooking stoves, and water boilers in all new buildings to meet climate goals, the study states.
