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New report -

A study by the Jaume I University in Spain found that gas stoves cause 40,000 deaths each year in Europe by emitting harmful pollutants.

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Comparison -

To have an idea of how serious this is, gas stoves actually kill twice as many people as car crashes in Europe.

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Pollutants -

The pollutants released through gas stoves contaminate the air and affect respiratory health over time.

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Life expectancy -

According to the study, the use of gas stoves reduces a person’s life expectancy by two years.

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Lack of public awareness -

Despite the dangers, there is no public awareness about this. “The extent of the problem is far worse than we thought,” said Juana María Delgado-Saborit, from the environmental health research lab at Jaume I University in Spain.

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Deaths in the EU -

According to the study, 36,031 early deaths each year are attributed to gas cookers in the EU.

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Deaths in the UK -

Researchers also attributed a further 3,928 deaths in the UK to pollutants emitted by gas stoves.

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The numbers are conservative -

Estimates are however conservative. This is because only the effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are taken into account.

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Beyond NO2 -

This means that the effects of being exposed to gasses such as benzene and carbon monoxide are not considered.

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It's nothing new -

“Way back in 1978, we first learned that NO2 pollution is many times greater in kitchens using gas than electric cookers, but only now are we able to put a number on the amount of lives being cut short,” explained Delgado-Saborit.

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Popular in Europe -

Gas stoves are widely used in the EU with one in three households cooking with gas.

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Popular in Europe -

In countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Romania, the percentage of use is over 60%.

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More than half of UK households use gas stoves -

In the UK, at least 54% of households cook with gas stoves.

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Indoor air quality -

Researchers measured air quality in homes where gas stoves were used to find out how much indoor air pollution they caused.

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Air pollution -

They then calculated the ratios between indoor and outdoor air pollution. The scientists from Jaume I University and the University of Valencia then mapped indoor exposure to NO2.

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NO2 pollution -

The risk rates of disease based on studies on outdoor NO2 pollution allowed them to calculate the number of deaths.

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NO2 pollution -

“The main uncertainty is whether the risk of dying found with outdoor NO2 from mainly traffic can be applied to indoor NO2 from gas cooking, but it is a fair assumption and required for the assessment,” said Steffen Loft, an air pollution expert at the University of Copenhagen.

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American study -

A similar study conducted in May 2024 in the US found that gas stoves cause up to 19,000 adult deaths per year.

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Air quality regulations -

The EU recently updated outdoor air quality standards, but it still has no regulations for indoor air quality.

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The end of gas cookers? -

The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) has called for a phase-out of gas cookers. The EPHS urged policymakers to do more.

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Potential measures -

This would be done by setting emissions limits, subsidizing cleaner stove options, and labeling gas stoves with warnings.

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The public would benefit -

These measures aim to help people make informed choices about cooking appliances.

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Under the radar -

“For too long it has been easy to dismiss the dangers of gas cookers,” said Sara Bertucci from the EPHA.

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Source of pollution -

“Like cigarettes, people didn’t think much of the health impacts – and, like cigarettes, gas cookers are a little fire that fills our home with pollution,” she added.

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How to reduce exposure to pollutants -

People can make an effort to reduce fume exposure by opening windows and using extractor fans while cooking.

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A permanent solution is needed -

But while good ventilation helps minimize indoor pollution, it does not eliminate the problem. The switch to electric hobs may be the way to go.

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A suitable alternative -

According to Delgado-Saborit, electric hobs are “cleaner, safer, and healthier” than gas stoves.

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Deaths could have been prevented -

Potentially, all these deaths could have been prevented if cleaner alternatives had been used.

Sources: (The Guardian) (Science.org) (Universitat Jaume I)

See also: Common cooking mistakes and how to fix them

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