The development of human civilisation allows modern people to feel more comfortable in the surrounding world than our ancestors did many centuries ago. Insulated houses, availability of water and electricity supply, all kinds of household appliances make life very comfortable. But is it safe for health?
Scientists from Stanford University (USA) conducted a study and published its results in the journal Environmental. Science and technology. The conclusions of the study report that ordinary gas cookers, without which it is hard to imagine modern life, can pose a danger to humans not only as a result of gas leaks, but also during normal use.
Researchers have found that running a gas cooker indoors increases the level of blood cancer-causing carcinogens in the air. And quite significantly at that! A gas cooker and oven set at 350 F° (180° C) can concentrate more carcinogens in the air than smoking indoors. When methane gas cookers burn, they release dangerous toxic chemicals officially recognised as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer – benzene (C6H6), formaldehyde (HCHO). In addition, combustion of the gas produces nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), which adversely affects human blood composition by reducing haemoglobin.
This is the first time such a study has been conducted. Eighty-seven homes in California and Colorado were tested. The average benzene saturation in the flats ranged from 2.8 to 6.5 µg/m3. And this exceeds the generally accepted health benchmarks.
Scientists remind that short-term exposure to benzene suppresses blood cell production, affects bone marrow and DNA, and frequent exposure to benzene increases the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma. The carcinogenic effects of benzene exposure have a linear dose-response curve with no lower threshold, meaning that any additional exposure to benzene increases the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma. That is, experts say that any concentration of benzene in the air is dangerous to humans.
Therefore, scientists advise that when you use gas cookers, always use an extractor hood and ventilate the flat well after cooking.
