Kitchen
Gas stoves:What You Need To KnowGas stoves are a common and popular kitchen appliance used for cooking. Here’s what you need to know to cook up great meals safely!
What To Avoid
Air pollutants: Gas stoves produce dangerous amounts of air pollutants, including nitrous oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and benzene (BZ) that increases risk of cancer. Stoves leak these pollutants even when turned off.
These pollutants increase risk of asthma, especially in children, and harm our lungs, hearts, and brains. Also, if a stove is left on without a flame, it releases large amounts of carbon monoxide that can be deadly.
Using a gas stove without adequate ventilation can be similar to someone smoking a cigarette at your kitchen table: it can create indoor air pollution that would be considered dangerous by outdoor Air quality standards.
Safer Choices
Ventilation:Turn on the exhaust fan above your stove, but make sure it pulls the pollution outside. Many fans do not vent to the outside. Opening a window or door is an effective way to let the pollution out and fresh air in. If you don’t have a exhaust fan above your stove, put a fan on your kitchen windowsill to blow polluted air outside.
Electric options:If possible, buy an electric or induction stove. Or as much as possible, use healthier, affordable, electric appliances such as a tea kettle, instant pot, slow cooker, air fryer, or a portable induction cooktop.
Back burners:When cooking on a gas stove, use the back burners so that you are not right over the flame which can help to reduce your exposure. More of the gas will be caught by the exhaust fan this way too!
Regular maintenance:Make sure your gas stove is well-maintained and in good working condition.
Find Safer Products
Websites and Apps:
Clearya
Clearya is a free browser extension and app that notifies you when there are unsafe ingredients in your makeup, personal care, baby care, cleaning and other products, and helps you find safe products.
Clearya is a free browser extension and app that notifies you when there are unsafe ingredients in your makeup, personal care, baby care, cleaning and other products, and helps you find safe products.
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics - Nontoxic Black Beauty Project
They offer a list and database of non-toxic beauty products made and sold by Black-owned companies that are committed to toxic-free beauty and personal care products.
They offer a list and database of non-toxic beauty products made and sold by Black-owned companies that are committed to toxic-free beauty and personal care products.
Detox Me
This app allows you to scan barcodes on products to find relevant tips. They also offer a buying guide to decode product labels and find non-toxic alternatives.
This app allows you to scan barcodes on products to find relevant tips. They also offer a buying guide to decode product labels and find non-toxic alternatives.
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG has a "Skin Deep" database that rates personal care and beauty products based on their safety and toxicity levels. EWG also offers a Healthy Living app that allows you to scan barcodes and find safer products.
EWG has a "Skin Deep" database that rates personal care and beauty products based on their safety and toxicity levels. EWG also offers a Healthy Living app that allows you to scan barcodes and find safer products.
Think Dirty
This app and website allow you to scan or search for personal care products to see their ingredient safety ratings.
This app and website allow you to scan or search for personal care products to see their ingredient safety ratings.