Hold up, are you cooking up a health hazard in your kitchen? A doctor claims that an everyday appliance could be as harmful as living with a smoker! 😲
Yes, you’re reading that right. Dr. Ben Ewald, hailing from Newcastle, Australia, has sounded the alarm on what many of us would consider a kitchen essential. He’s not just stirring the pot; he has some serious concerns about the health risks associated with this common household item.
In an eye-opening chat with Femail, Dr. Ewald made a startling comparison: “Living with a gas stove is the health equivalent of living with a smoker.
“There are lots of causes of asthma, viruses are the biggest one, but gas stove exposure is on that list,” he explained.
“Nitrogen dioxide is a respiratory irritant that’s produced from the flame. At high levels it can be toxic but even at low levels it can lead to asthma,” Dr. Ewald added, highlighting just how sneaky these health hazards can be.
The worry doesn’t stop there. Using a gas stove could also crank up your risk of developing allergies or even pneumonia in severe cases.
Dr. Ewald broke down the science of it all, noting that the tiny nanoparticles, especially nitrogen dioxide, are just the right size to invade and stick to your respiratory system, causing irritation that nobody wants.
And it’s not just adults who need to be wary. Dr. Ewald pointed out that children, with their developing lungs, are particularly vulnerable, as well as the elderly.
Beyond nitrogen dioxide, the flame from a gas stove also releases formaldehyde and benzene, both of which irritate the respiratory system.
While the whole country hasn’t nixed gas stoves, New York made headlines last year with plans to ban fossil fuel equipment in new buildings, opting for climate-friendly alternatives like heat pumps and induction stoves.
According to CNN, this New York law is set to kick in between 2026 and 2029, depending on the building size. The only exceptions? Large commercial buildings like restaurants, hospitals, and stores.
Meanwhile, other cities across the US are catching up with similar regulations. For instance, Berkeley was the first US city to ban natural gas hookups in new buildings back in 2019, though this was later repealed in April 2024 after pushback from a restaurant trade group.
So, next time you fire up that stove, it might be worth thinking about the invisible risks simmering along with your dinner.