The kitchen is one of the best places in
our home.
This is where we spend time with our families first thing in the morning
and this is where we debrief about all the drama that took place at school or work
around the dinner table.
Who doesn't go in the kitchen more than once a day?
Imagine how life would be if we didn't have this majestic venue designed just
for making food?
But, wait a minute...
If the kitchen is one of the best places in the home, then it better be a healthy environment.
If not, then literally millions of people
might be exposed to health risks.
According to the World Health Organization,
over 4 million people die every year from
illnesses related to household air pollution.
Causes of death are related to
our respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
They may include stroke, heart disease and lung cancer.
So you may be wondering...
Can I get heart disease from cooking food?
Good question...
Burning in solid fuels like
wood or coal generates large amounts of
pollutants.
And even modern cooking methods can
affect indoor air quality.
When gas burners are used, carbon monoxide nitrogen
monoxide, and formaldehyde can be produced.
These gases are toxic and pose a health risk.
Carbon monoxide specifically reduces
the amount of oxygen delivered to our
body because it binds very tightly to
hemoglobin in our red blood cells
prevents them from being able to carry
oxygen.
Electric burners might be a better option but they are not perfect.
Electric burners do not
produce carbon monoxide or any toxic gas, but they do produce ultrafine particles.
These are like dust particles 10,000
times smaller than the diameter of your hair strand.
They can enter our lungs,
reach our bloodstream, and they can be
transported to other organs like the
heart, the liver, or the brain.
Researchers in our lab are working to understand the air pollutants in our kitchen and how to
improve air quality in one of our
favorite places in the world.
But while our researchers are working on this, there are ways to keep your kitchen air safer:
Using a range hood or opening vents
while cooking is a great way to improve
ventilation and to remove toxic gases
and particles from your kitchen.
Doing this could decrease health risks caused by air pollutants.
