40 thousand victims per year. Check if you have this equipment in your kitchen
40 thousand Europeans die every year as a result of air poisoning caused by cooking with gas. This is twice as many as the number of road accident victims on the Old Continent. Worse still, Poland leads the pack in terms of the number of such excess deaths.
Research results published by scientists from the University of Jaume I in Spain revealed shocking data: air pollution generated during gas cooking causes the death of approximately 40,000 Europeans every year. Poland ranks second in the European Union in terms of the number of excess deaths resulting from exposure to harmful substances produced during gas combustion.
Cooking with gas in Poland leads to thousands of premature deaths
The report emphasizes that most victims die as a result of NO₂ (nitrogen dioxide) poisoning, which is produced during cooking with gas. This gas, inhaled regularly by people staying in closed rooms, is a strong harmful factor that can lead to chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, especially in children.
As Juana María Delgado-Saborit, who led the research, emphasizes, the problem of indoor air pollution in homes has long remained outside the mainstream of public health research. “The size of the problem is bigger than we thought,” said Delgado-Saborit, quoted by The Guardian.
Although the negative impact of NO₂ on health was known already in 1978, it was only now, thanks to more advanced research, that the scale of the threat could be accurately estimated. It has already been shown that NO₂ pollution is many times higher in gas cookers than in electric ones, but only modern analyzes show the tragic effects of long-term exposure to this gas.
Poland is the “runner-up” of the European Union
According to the data published in the report, Poland is one of the EU countries most exposed to excess deaths caused by air pollution at home. Approximately six thousand premature deaths related to the use of gas stoves are recorded annually in the country.
This result is second only to Italy. The report also shows that Poland is in third place in the European Union in terms of the number of years of life lost due to exposure to NO₂ emissions from cooking with gas – a total of approximately 12,000 years of life lost!
Experts emphasize that there is an urgent need to change cooking habits and introduce policies that support the transition to alternative energy sources. The countries that could benefit most from health benefits from switching to cleaner cooking sources are the UK, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Romania, according to the report.
Health and economic costs
NO₂ pollution is not only associated with premature deaths, but also with serious economic costs. According to the report, the annual cost of premature deaths and years of life lost in Poland is as much as EUR 24 billion. For comparison, in Italy this amount reaches EUR 54 billion.
Additionally, the costs of treating asthma cases in children caused by exposure to NO₂ in Poland amount to approximately EUR 28 million per year. According to researchers, children from households with gas stoves have an approximately 20% higher risk of developing asthma than children from homes with electric stoves.
Sara Bertucci from the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) compared the dangers of using gas stoves to cigarette smoke.
“Just like cigarettes, people have ignored their health effects for years. Gas stoves are like a small fire that fills our home with pollutants,” notes Bertucci.
For this reason, EPHA and other public health organizations recommend a gradual move away from gas cooking to electric solutions that generate much less harmful emissions.
Alternatives to cooking with gas
Experts unanimously emphasize that one of the most effective ways to reduce exposure to harmful substances emitted by gas cookers is to switch to electric, induction or ceramic cookers. They are not only safer for health, but also more energy efficient.
It is worth noting that in countries that intensively promote electricity as a cleaner source, such as Denmark or Sweden, there is a much lower rate of excess deaths related to cooking with gas.
Air the kitchen – it helps
However, if switching to an electric stove is not possible, there are several preventive measures that can help reduce the health impact of pollution. The most important thing is to air the kitchen regularly and install effective ventilation systems. “Opening windows while cooking and turning on the exhaust hood can significantly reduce the concentration of NO₂ in the air and reduce the risk of inhaling it,” advise the authors of the report.
Raising public awareness
In many EU countries, including Poland, government policies regarding indoor air quality are insufficient. Non-governmental organizations and health groups are increasingly calling on decision-makers to introduce regulations limiting the use of gas stoves in residential buildings, as well as to educate about the health risks associated with their use.
The problem of indoor air pollution also gained importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the majority of the population spent more time at home. Many public health specialists point out that the quality of indoor air, including the impact of gas stoves, should be as priority as the fight against smog and outdoor pollution. In Poland, where outdoor air quality has been a problem for a long time, paying attention to the air quality in homes seems particularly important.