Science Advances report also finds people of color and low-income residents in US disproportionately affected

Science Advances report also finds people of color and low-income residents in US disproportionately affected

Using a gas stove increases nitrogen dioxide exposure to levels that exceed public health recommendations, a new study shows. The report, published Friday in Science Advances, found that people of color and low-income residents in the US were disproportionately affected.

Indoor gas and propane appliances raise average concentrations of the harmful pollutant, also known as NO2, to 75% of the World Health Organization’s standard for indoor and outdoor exposure.

That means even if a person avoids exposure to nitrogen dioxide from traffic exhaust, power plants, or other sources, by cooking with a gas stove they will have already breathed in three-quarters of what is considered a safe limit.

“When you’re using a gas stove, you are burning fossil fuel directly in the home,” said Yannai Kashtan, lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at Stanford University. “Ventilation does help but it’s an imperfect solution and ultimately the best way is to reduce pollution at the source.”

  • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
    5•2 months ago

    They heat up quickly and they’re very easy to clean.

    I keep seeing people say this as a benefit of glass-top electrics, but this has never been the case with any one of those I’ve used. A boil-over invariably leaves a grimy black ring that can’t be scrubbed off even with hours of scrubbing. So they end up looking grimy.

    Meanwhile, my sealed gas burners are easy to get clean. I just sweep up the crumbs and then dump some boiling water and a couple drops of dish soap and wipe it up.

    • @OhmsLawn@lemmy.world
      14•2 months ago

      I just spent almost two weeks on vacation in an apartment with an induction stove. I’ve had gas my whole life. I was impressed. It heated the pans faster and more evenly, the temperature was more tuneable and it was easy to clean.

      While standard resistive stoves do get those rings, the inductive one almost certainly wouldn’t, because the glass only gets heated by the pan, rather than the other way around.

      The only difficulty was the Samsung UX. It was a bit of a chore to get the pan centered on the coil, and there was insufficient feedback when you got it right or wrong and if it wasn’t in the right place it just wouldn’t work. I got used to it, but I’d have liked some better markings, and an LED ring that would show when it was on. It also didn’t automatically heat the pan quickly on startup. You had to set it to 9, then back off, otherwise it would heat the pan on a duty cycle.

      If I were to upgrade my kitchen, I’d absolutely go with induction. However, even beyond my usual research, I’d make damn sure I got the best option on this. I love cooking too much to screw it up.

        • Thassodar
          4•2 months ago

          My main beef is that I have pretty thorough knowledge of appliance warranties and induction stoves are near impossible to repair. I think it’s partially because the techs don’t know how they actually work, so getting an accurate diagnosis was rough. Most of the time they had to be replaced outright.

          If I were to get one I’d probably get a countertop one with a single burner so that if it fails I don’t have to replace the whole induction range, I can just replace that single point of failure.

        • @Pretzilla@lemmy.world
          2•2 months ago

          Pick up a portable induction HOB and use it on the side. Even though the cheap ones are pretty crappy in many regards, they still work great for what they are and give a good idea of what to expect from a high quality one.

          Side note on cost, the inflation reduction act provides rebates to switch to induction.

    • @catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
      4•2 months ago

      What were you using to clean? I’ve been able to get those rings off with the regular glass cooktop cleaner and a little elbow grease. You could probably use something a little more abrasive but still glass-safe if you wanted.

      My main issue was it’s harder to get greases off completely instead of leaving a slight streaky film, but that’s mostly just an aesthetic concern.

      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod
        1•2 months ago

        I’m using a non-scratching scrubbing pad and the recommended stovetop cleaner. I can get most of the worst of it, but there’s always a ring of carbonized food that just sticks around.

    • mox
      1•2 months ago

      A boil-over invariably leaves a grimy black ring that can’t be scrubbed off even with hours of scrubbing.

      I expect it would depend on what cleaning product you use. Bar Keepers Friend does wonders on stainless steel; perhaps it’s safe for glass as well?

    • Flying Squid
      1•2 months ago

      Admittedly we’ve only had it about a month now, but it’s been fine so far.

      • Thassodar
        4•2 months ago

        A word of warning: if it’s a Samsung appliance it will fail within the first year, or right outside of it. Samsung appliances are garbage, their electronics are solid.