Turns out that stovetops produce a lot of very small nanoparticles that are a threat to respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Researchers have known that burners on gas and electric stovetops emit nanoparticles when they’re used, but until now they hadn’t been able to measure the smallest nanoparticles — those under 10 nanometers. A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that stovetops produce as much as 10 times as many particles under 10 nanometers as nanoparticles over that size.
Nanoparticles readily enter the bloodstream through the lungs, pass through cell membranes and accumulate in organs. Nanoparticle toxicity is related to its surface; nanoparticles of a substance are more toxic than the same mass of larger particles of the same substance.
I guess we’ll have to update the old saying. If you can’t stand the nanoparticles, get out of the kitchen.