Kitchen Found to be Danger Zone for Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles emitted by common kitchen appliances are more abundant than previously thought, leading for an urgent call for more research on health implications.
In 150 experiments using gas and electric stoves and electric toaster ovens, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are working to determine their impacts on indoor levels of nanoparticles.
Previous studies measured particles with diameters greater than 10 nm, but the technology used in these experiments allowed researchers to measure particles as small as 10 times the size of a large atom, called ultra-fine particles (UFP).
“The results of this test,” said researcher Lance Wallace, “should affect future studies of human exposure to particulates and associated health effects, particularly since personal exposure to these indoor UFP sources can often exceed exposure to the outdoor UFP.”
Other recent research has demonstrated the difficulty of mapping out the health effects of nanoparticles. Even if a certain nanoparticles do not appear to be toxic, the interaction between the nanoparticles and other compounds in the human body can potentially cause serious problems to cell functions.
