As part of Europe’s largest-ever study to assess gas cooking’s impact on indoor air quality, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) partnered with ENVEA to conduct field testing of key pollutants (NO2, CO, PM2.5) released from gas hobs in the home. ENVEA’s Cairsens microsensors were crucial to the study’s success, providing precise, high-resolution data on indoor air pollutants. The results offered a stark revelation of the hidden dangers of gas cooking, with 25% exceeding WHO hourly NO2 limits and over 57% breaching daily thresholds.
To assess the impact of gas versus electric cooking on indoor air quality compared to WHO and EU/UK standards, TNO and partners sought to capture data from 32 gas-cooking and 8 electric-cooking households in seven European countries. Each household needed to be equipped with a sensor that could precisely capture minute-by-minute measurements of NO2, CO, and PM2.5 concentrations to compare against WHO limits. The sensor needed to be compact, user-friendly, and easy to install to avoid disrupting participants’ cooking routines, blend seamlessly into kitchens, and enable them to record reliable data effortlessly.
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Envea’s Cairsens microsensor was selected by researchers for its high-resolution data capabilities and compact, user-friendly design. 247 test participants were equipped with portable test kits containing the sensors and given detailed questionnaires to capture cooking habits and ventilation use. Measurements took place over approximately four months, with the data revealing findings that made headlines across Europe.
The Cairsens microsensors proved essential for capturing high-resolution indoor air quality data, revealing that 25% of gas-cooking households exceeded WHO’s 1-hour NO2 limits annually, while none of the electric-cooking homes did. Over 57% of gas-cooking homes surpassed daily NO2 limits, in contrast to just 16% of electric-cooking households. The results highlighted the significant health risks posed by gas cooking, underscoring the urgent need for policy changes and public awareness campaigns to protect public health.