INSIDE STORY

AS EXPERTS suggest that the air inside homes can be more polluted than outside, we look at the causes. This week: Stoves and boilers

EVERY time you cook on a gas stove, nitrogen dioxide gas is released into your kitchen.

‘This colourless, odourless gas is linked to an increased risk of developing asthma,’ says Jonathan Grigg, a professor of paediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London.

‘In today’s houses, which are hermetically sealed from the outside environment so don’t let fresh air in and stale air out, these gases can build up.’

To limit the problem, use an extractor fan or open a window while cooking on a gas stove.

Meanwhile, carbon monoxide can be released from a faulty boiler. ‘This gas is extremely dangerous because it binds to haemoglobin in the red blood cells, preventing the passage of oxygen around the body,’ says Professor Grigg.

He advises having your boiler checked regularly and installing carbon monoxide alarms.