WASHINGTON: Your kitchen appliances, running on natural gas, one
of the cleanest fuels, could be emitting dangerous superfine
particulate matter. Italian researchers measured particulate
matter produced by natural gas domestic burners to assess risk
of exposure to organic emissions, linked with increased
mortality due to deposition in the lungs, brain, and circulatory
system. Patrizia Minutolo and others from Università Federico II
and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Naples and Riello's
burner division used advanced optical diagnostic tools, particle
collection methods, and particle size assessment to identify
particulate matter with diameters between 1 and 10 nanometers.
The researchers concluded that while these particles were
present in relatively high concentrations in the flame region of
home heating burners, these were strongly oxidized, resulting in
very low emissions. Conversely, domestic stove tops emitted
larger amounts of these very small particles. "These critical
research findings provide i