Gas stovetops are amazing to cook on: instant, controllable and capable of getting super-hot. A shame, then, that a new study shows that apartments with gas have nitrous dioxide levels three times higher than the sides of busy highways. Nitrous oxide, by the way, is toxic by inhalation.
The study originally set out to compare the differences in air quality between buildings with electric and gas cookers. Turns out an electric stovetop may be quite a lot better for your health, as gas means that the air we breathe in our homes contains three times as much nitrous dioxide. Professor Vida Sharifi, who led the research at the University of Sheffield, UK, explains:
“Energy is just one source of indoor pollution, but it is a significant one. And as we make our homes more airtight to reduce heating costs, we are likely to be exposed to higher levels of indoor pollution, with potential impacts on our health.”
Still, switch to electric and your steak will never be the same again. Decisions, decisions. [University of Sheffield]
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