Gas cooking is associated with worsening asthma in kids. But proper ventilation helps – MENAFN.COM

Gas cooking is associated with worsening asthma in kids. But proper ventilation helps – MENAFN.COM

(MENAFN - The Conversation) 'You're cooking with gas' is a familiar term associated with doing the right thing and doing it well. But is cooking with gas doing the wrong thing for our health? Increasing evidence suggests cooking with gas may make asthma worse in children. However, proper use of range hoods could reduce that risk. What's in gas? Gas is excellent for cooking — it switches on in an instant and is easily adjustable. But burning gas produces a variety of byproducts, some relatively benign and some not so benign for human health. And that's without even considering the wider health effects of climate change, to which burning fossil fuels such as gas is the major contributor. Read more: 'Unjustifiable': new report shows how the nation's gas expansion puts Australians in harm's way The natural gas supplied to domestic appliances such as stoves is almost all methane , with traces of other hydrocarbons such as ethane and some nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Natural gas burns very efficiently, as you can see from the blue, non-smoky flames on your cooktop. The process releases CO₂ and water, with traces of other gases. For every kilogram (1, 000 grams) of CO₂