Slaving over hot stove in stuffy kitchen could be more dangerous than standing in smog-filled street

Indoor air pollution can be three times more toxic than traffic choked streets, according to study



'As we make our homes more airtight to reduce heating costs, we're likely to be exposed to higher levels of indoor pollution,' says researcher



Inhalation of such gases or particles can trigger respiratory problems and make existing ones worse



Hidden dangers: Slaving over hot stove in stuffy kitchen could be more dangerous than standing in smog-filled street

Household cooks could unwittingly be exposing themselves to dangerous noxious gases while using a stove in a stuffy room.



The craze for energy efficient draft-free homes is being blamed for indoor air pollution - which can be three times more toxic than traffic choked streets, the study says.



Householders who insist on spraying air freshener everywhere and using very strong cleaning products to create a germ free environment may also be risking their health.

Academics from Sheffield University looked at three locations for the study which they say is one of the first of its kind to focus on indoor pollution risks.



One was a stone-built detached house with an electric cooker in Hathersage - a village in the Peak District National Park, just over 10 miles west of Sheffield.



The research team compared the rural setting with two flats in Sheffield, one in the city centre and another above a shop by a busy road, both with gas cookers.

Risk: Householders who insist on spraying air freshener everywhere and using very strong cleaning products to create a germ free environment may also be risking their health

Samples were taken outside and inside the properties, from each kitchen, over a four week period.

They found very low carbon monoxide levels in the kitchen of the rural house.



But when the gas cookers were turned on in the flats, carbon monoxide levels started to spike.



The gas cookers were also a significant source of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).



Levels in the kitchen of the city centre flat with a gas cooker were three times higher than the concentrations measured outside the property.



They were also well above those recommended in UK Indoor Air Quality Guidance, according to Prof Vida Sharifi, who led the research - published in the Journal of Indoor and Built Environment.



Rising levels: During the experiment when the gas cookers were turned on in the flats, carbon monoxide levels started to spike

She said: 'We spend 90 per cent of our time indoors and work hard to make our homes warm, secure and comfortable, but we rarely think about the pollution we might be breathing in.



'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.'



It has been suggested that the inhalation of such gases or particles can trigger respiratory problems and make existing ones worse.



Other health effects can include chronic cardiovascular, respiratory and pulmonary illnesses while smaller particles can penetrate deeper into the lungs, producing greater health effects.



The research focused on pollutants which pose the biggest risks to the elderly and people with respiratory or cardiovascular problems.



They included carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solid particles small enough to penetrate into the lungs.



The average particle concentrations measured by the research team in the kitchens of both flats with gas cookers were higher than the levels set by the Government as its objective for outdoor air quality in both London and England.



There are currently no set guidelines for safe levels of particles in the home.



Professor Sharifi added 'Concerns about air quality tend to focus on what we breathe in outdoors, but as we spend most of our time indoors, we need to understand more about air pollution in our homes.



'There is very little data on emission rates from different appliances or acceptable standards on indoor pollutants.

