NO2 is released into the atmosphere when fuels are burned – for example, petrol or diesel in a car engine, or natural gas in a domestic cooker, central heating boiler or an electricity power station. NO2 can severely affect our health.
- There is evidence that high levels of it can inflame the airways in our lungs and, over a long period of time, affect how well our lungs work.
- People with asthma and other pulmonary conditions are particularly affected.
- Natural gas cookers, widely used in the UK, can contribute to poor indoor air quality, especially when used without an extractor. This why kitchens with gas cookers are required, at minimum, to be vented to the outside by window, door or open vent – convenient in summer but much less so in winter!
- Natural gas cookers emit nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and in certain conditions, formaldehyde (HCHO) – each of which can exacerbate various respiratory and other health problems.
Now here’s the puzzle: The houses in Boekel Ecovillage have no fuels to burn…
So they must come from outside the homes, probably from the building site. As we put uHoo’s outside, we hope to get more infomation from the origin of the NO2.
