The fumes generated by the intense heating of a gas stove include toxic and harmful substances such as nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and formaldehyde. A study published in a sub journal of Science shows that cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (propane) can emit large amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) indoors, and long-term exposure to this environment can lead to an increase in childhood asthma cases and an increase in adult chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and overall mortality rates. The study also found that when a gas stove was turned on for one hour without turning on the exhaust hood, more than half of the kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms had nitrogen dioxide concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization's limit. Even more exaggeratedly, with the indoor room door open and the range hood not turned on, using the gas stove for only 25 minutes already exceeded the nitrogen dioxide concentration limit in the bedroom. Even after being turned off for 2-3 hours, the nitrogen dioxide level in the bedroom remained above the health standard. In addition, it is well known that smoking is an important risk factor affecting the incidence of lung cancer. The incidence rate of lung cancer is 47.98/100000 for Chinese men with a smoking rate of 50.5%. However, in China, the female smoking rate is only 2.1%, while the incidence rate of lung cancer is 23.70/100000, of which only 12.5% are lung cancer cases attributable to smoking. Therefore, in addition to smoking and secondhand smoke, kitchen fumes may be another important factor affecting the incidence of lung cancer. A study has found that even if one never smokes, the risk of lung cancer increases with cooking time. So, what can be done to reduce health risks when gas stoves cannot be completely abandoned? Research has shown that the use of range hoods can reduce the average hourly concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the kitchen by about 10% to 70%. Therefore, it is important to choose a range hood with good smoke exhaust effect. Please also remember the following usage instructions: 1. The range hood should be turned on early and off late. Before draining the oil, turn it on and turn off the gas stove for 5-10 minutes. Even if boiling water, the range hood should be turned on. 3. When cooking, the kitchen door should be closed, and it is best to keep the kitchen door closed to prevent harmful pollutants from spreading to the living room and bedroom. 4. Regularly clean the range hood and maintain its smoke exhaust efficiency. 5. Regularly inspect and maintain gas stoves. It is recommended to regularly have professional personnel inspect the gas stove, including whether the pipeline is aging, whether the valve is loose, and whether the burner is normal. Timely replace aging or damaged components to ensure the safe operation of the gas stove. At the same time, it is important to choose healthy cooking methods, such as steaming more and frying less. If we need to cook for a long time, such as steaming, boiling, or stewing, we can also choose induction cookers and electric stew pots to minimize the use of gas stoves. When choosing cooking methods such as stir frying, pan frying, and deep frying, you can use a smoke proof mask or transparent face mask to protect both our respiratory tract and skin. When cooking, controlling the moisture content of the ingredients beforehand can reduce the production of oil fumes. (New Society)