New research by Which? suggests cooking on a gas hob can create more air pollution indoors than levels found on one of the UK’s busiest roads.
In order to see how everyday cooking activities affect levels of pollution in the average home, Which? conducted a snapshot investigation which looked specifically at Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Which? found that NO2 rose with the use of a gas hob and increased in line with the amount of time gas was used for or the number of gas rings used. In Which?’s slow cooking scenario (using one ring), all participants’ NO2 levels more than doubled.
Once levels of NO2 had spiked, Which? found that they remained elevated for significant periods of time – often several hours – suggesting that people spending their evening in the same room where they have cooked (as with open-plan homes) could be exposed to sustained elevated levels well in excess of the WHO guidelines. Previous studies have highlighted the high levels of NO2 put out by gas hobs – a byproduct of burning natural gas.
Sample size;
five volunteers – four with gas hobs
But this shoots the whole thing down even more:
They were asked to keep windows and doors shut,
What a crap “study”, nothing to see here folks.
If those cooktops had been electric, there would have been no increase in NO2 at all. Additionally it was a small study, sure, but the thing you cite - keeping doors and windows closed - is just good methodology. Have to be sure the NO2 isn’t coming in from outside.
