Results of a Dutch study have led to two European organisations warning that the use of gas stoves for cooking at home is leading to the development of asthma symptoms in tens of thousands of children in the Netherlands.
Based on a recent study conducted by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), energy efficiency NGO CLASP and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) have warned that cooking on gas stoves without proper ventilation increases the risk of health problems among children.
While a lack of proper ventilation can cause nitrogen dioxide levels to rise and potentially even exceed safety guidelines set out by the European Union and World Health Organisation (WHO), gas stoves also produce carbon monoxide and other pollutants that can lead to children developing lung conditions.
According to an estimate by TNO, tens of thousands of children in the Netherlands suffer from (temporary) asthma symptoms as a result of their families cooking on gas at home. Previous studies have also found a link between gas stoves and symptoms of ADHD in young children, as well as issues with adult respiratory and nervous symptoms.
Over 50 percent of homes in the Netherlands, and around 100 million homes across the EU, have gas stoves. “Few people are aware of the harmful risks posed by gas cooking appliances,” CLASP CEO Christine Egan said in an interview with Euronews. “Cooking your dinner could expose you to as many pollutants as second-hand smoke… EU officials have an obligation to consider these health risks.”
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