4 tips to improve indoor air quality while cooking

Simple Ways to Breathe Easier While Cooking

(NC) Did you know that cooking indoors creates air pollution that can impact your health and indoor air quality? Whether you use a gas or electric stove, cooking creates particulate matter. Particulate matter includes tiny particles of food, fat, or oil that become airborne when you cook or burn food. Your gas stove emits additional pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide (CO), while cooking. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide can increase your risk of developing breathing problems, and exposure to CO can create flu-like symptoms, drowsiness, and eventually lead to loss of consciousness and death.

As we approach the holiday season, you might want to consider some tips to help improve your indoor air quality while cooking:

1. It would help to turn on the range hood exhaust fan whenever you use your stovetop. Running the exhaust on the highest setting during cooking can reduce exposure to cooking-related pollutants by more than 80 percent compared to slower speeds.
2. If you do not have a range hood exhaust fan, open a nearby window to help remove air pollutants from your home.
3. Install CO alarms in your home to help prevent CO poisoning. Install them on every floor and near each sleeping area.
4. Take additional steps to reduce exposure to pollutants from cooking:
   • Use back burners instead of front burners;
   • In addition to running the range hood exhaust fan, turn on the fan in your furnace or ventilation system, if available;
   • Have a professional regularly maintain and inspect your appliances. Do this once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer.

While everyone’s health can be affected by air pollution created by cooking, people with existing heart and lung conditions (including asthma), young children and older adults tend to be more at risk to the adverse health effects of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and CO.

Find more information on protecting your indoor air while cooking at canada.ca/airhealth.

www.newscanada.com

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