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If you’re passionate about indoor air quality, then you’re familiar with the great debate about electrifying stoves. The story goes like this: a renowned university produces a new indoor air quality study using an unrealistic test environment, and the results show an increased risk of harmful pollutants by cooking with gas and propane. What these studies don’t tell you is that any type of indoor cooking, including electric, negatively affects air quality. In addition, there are simple and proven ways to mitigate the risk.
When we fry, grill, or sauté food, fine particulate matter is released into the air. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and pose health risks. It’s also true that cooking can release organic compounds from both the cooking process and the ingredients used. For example, heating oils and fats can produce acrolein and formaldehyde, while meat cooked at high temperatures can produce harmful carcinogens.
Study Shows Cooking Practices are Correlated to Emissions
A California Restaurant Association (CTA) study published in 2023 found that emissions are more influenced by what is being cooked and how than the fuel type. The study went on to say that proper ventilation is the most effective method for curbing indoor air pollution.
Dr. Dan Tormey, president of Catalyst Environmental Solutions and chief author of the CTA study, made the following remarks: “While recent media reports have suggested studies are increasingly showing a link between gas cooking and respiratory illnesses, our review of those and other studies does not support that narrative. We find the body of research on cooking and indoor air quality points toward the value of proper ventilation, regardless of whether an electric or gas stove is used.”
Studies show proper ventilation significantly lowers cooking emissions.
A recent Washington Post article shares a similar sentiment. According to the authors, “Good ventilation is probably the only effective measure you have to protect yourself from emissions that come directly from the food, especially if you have a hood that vents outside.” The article went on to highlight a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showing that vent hoods could remove anywhere between 15 and 98 percent of pollutants based on the model and burner used.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend an average of 53 minutes a day cooking. This small percentage of time, combined with using proper ventilation, makes it reasonable to allow homeowners to choose their own cooking appliances. Cost is also a major consideration. Induction stoves that operate with electricity are receiving positive reviews but often come with an extreme price tag, depending on the model selected.
World Health Organization Defines Clean Cooking Fuels
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are many types of clean fuels and technologies that can be used for safe and healthy cooking. They include solar, electric, biogas, liquified petroleum gas, ethanol, and certain types of biomass. While most Americans are fortunate to cook using modern-day appliances, many countries are still forced to rely on unsafe cooking practices.
Clean fuels like propane are helping people move away from dangerous cooking conditions.
The issue with cooking becomes much more dire in low-income countries where people are still cooking using open fires fueled by kerosene, wood, charcoal, and dung. In fact, WHO says around 2.3 billion people worldwide still cook in these dangerous conditions, and air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year as of 2020.
The propane industry is and continues to be an active participant in the Clean Cooking program led by World Central Kitchen. They focus on providing clean cooking solutions in the Caribbean and Central America, where people still cook primarily with wood or charcoal. Moving people away from these dirty fuels like propane and solar is improving air quality and saving lives.
Most Americans have access to the latest technologies and the cleanest fuels to cook their meals, but that’s not the case for vast populations around the world. For what some believe to be as many as 2 million years, humans have determined that the upside of cooking food vastly outweighs any drawbacks. Whether with propane or electricity, clean, safe cooking is a beneficial advancement that should be available to all.
