Cancer risk linked to popular kitchen appliance found in 6,300,000 American homes

Your home could house a kitchen appliance that greatly increases the risk of cancer, as scientists warn that an item found in over 6,300,000 homes poses a significant health risk if safety measures aren't considered.

There are a number of different household items and otherwise inconsequential activities that could increase your risk of cancer, as scientists have linked excessive alcohol consumption and even one popular cooking oil to the deadly disease.

While researchers have found what they're calling a 'eureka moment' that links aspirin to the reduced spread of cancer throughout the body, one significant risk could actually be in your home right now - and it's something you likely use every single day.

As reported by the Daily Mail, a new Stanford University-led study has revealed that emissions from gas stoves - particularly those in the top 5% of benzene-emitting ones - significantly increases the risk of cancer, particularly in young children.

Benzene-producing gas stovetops have now been linked to the increased risk of cancer, affecting millions of Americans (Getty Stock)

It's indicated that the risk for children is around 16 times higher than that of adults, although it still remains a clear danger for adults too, and it scales significantly when it comes to use cases too.

The study separates the use of these gas stoves into three categories - low, medium, and high - with the latter two forming the greatest risk when it comes to the development of cancer in the body.

Medium usage roughly involves using one burner in the morning and two in the evening for around half an hour each, whereas high usage ups that to two in the morning and four in the evening for around 41 minutes each, with the addition of a 350°F oven as well.

Research illustrates that high usage in a non-ventilated apartment can create up to 16 cases of cancer in every 1,000,000 children, and while this might seem a lot at first glance, it's over 16 times that of the normal amount for what is otherwise a daily activity for millions of Americans.

Outside of simply shifting away from benzene-emitting gas stovetops, by far the biggest thing you can do to reduce risk is introduce ventilation to your home - especially if you live in a smaller space.

Benzene is likely to travel throughout your house and can often find itself in your bedroom, putting you at far greater health risk due to the time you spend there while sleeping, so ventilating enough so that it leaves your home is vital.

Ventilating your home dramatically reduces the risk of using gas hobs, so experts highly recommend it (Getty Stock)

Opening windows for just a few hours a day can reduce the risk by around 42%, whereas keeping them open all day ups this to 99%, although understandably that's not something that every American can do depending on the weather.

Using an effective extraction fan above your cooker can also do a great job, reducing the amount of benzene in the air to roughly 0.21 parts per billion (ppb), which is lower than the recommendation of 1ppb, and dramatically lower than the roughly 1.17-3.35ppb of an unventilated home.