LPG cylinders are used for cooking food in all of our homes. As a liquid form of petroleum gas, LPG gas has made cooking a lot easier. But is it safe for our health? This question is arising because some research suggests that food cooked on LPG gas is harming our health, so much so that it can lead to the risk of diseases like cancer.
According to the study, when we light the gas stove, even though we only see the fire, in reality, many types of chemicals are also emitted along with the fire, some of which are harmful to health. Researchers at Stanford University found in the study that it can be as harmful to your health as cigarettes.
Let us know what are the main things revealed in this study.
How harmful are LPG gas stoves to health?
Researchers conducted a study to know the side effects caused by LPG gas, in which many shocking things came to the fore. In the study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, researchers have identified at least 12 dangerous air pollutants emitted from gas stoves, including benzene. Benzene is a chemical that can cause cancer if exposed to it for a long time.
Health experts have found that benzene is emitted not only from the stop but also from the closed stop. It is just as harmful as secondhand smoke.
What did the study find?
Researchers at PSE Healthy Energy sampled stove gas from 159 homes in 16 counties in California and found benzene in 99% of the samples. The researchers assessed the health risks caused by benzene in a home by factors such as the size of the kitchen, the ventilation level of the room, how much of the chemical was present, and whether it was leaking when the stove was turned off.
The results found that indoor concentrations of benzene from stoves were up to seven times higher than the level of safe exposures set by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Risk of many types of diseases from benzene
Exposure to benzene over time may increase a person's risk of blood disorders or reproductive problems, the team of researchers said. This chemical can also cause problems like leukemia, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Researchers say there is no safe level of benzene exposure when it comes to cancer risk. But benzene isn't the only worrisome chemical that comes from stoves, research has shown that gas stoves are also increasing the risk of indoor air pollution.
What do researchers say?
Another study also found one in eight children at risk of asthma due to LPG gas stoves. Eric Lebel, one of the study's authors, says gas stoves continue to emit benzene even when they are turned off, a situation comparable to living with a smoker.
The way people are dependent on LPG gas globally, it is a matter to think about how its use can be reduced. At present, it is very important to cook food under a protective cover and ensure better ventilation in the kitchen.
(PC: Freepik)
