A New Stanford University Study Has Linked Gas Stoves To About 19,000 Adult Deaths In The United States Each Year
Gas stoves have been a staple in many American households for quite some time. They have long been praised for their efficiency and control in cooking. But, new research has revealed a darker side to these common kitchen appliances.
Researchers at Stanford University have found that gas stoves contribute to about 19,000 adult deaths in the United States every year.
This alarming finding raises urgent questions about the hidden health risks lurking in our kitchens and how safe our everyday cooking practices really are.
In the new study, it was determined that gas stoves emit unhealthy amounts of nitrogen dioxide pollution, reaching 75 percent of the exposure limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The health risks that come with gas stoves are due to long-term, daily exposure to dangerous air pollution indoors.
Chronic exposure to nitrogen dioxide has been linked to a higher risk of developing respiratory diseases.
Around 38 percent of households in the United States have gas stoves. Communities of color are disproportionately affected by such risks.
For instance, Native American households are subjected to 60 percent more nitrogen dioxide than average. White, black, and Latino households experience 20 percent more exposure.
Children, in particular, are vulnerable to air pollution. When even low levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and benzene are inhaled from gas stoves, it can worsen asthma and elevate the risk of leukemia, especially in kids.
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It is estimated that gas and propane stoves are responsible for up to 50,000 pediatric asthma cases in the U.S.
To figure out how much nitrogen dioxide gas and propane stoves produce, the researchers measured the presence of the pollutant before, during, and after the stoves were used. The study was conducted in more than 100 houses and apartments in five states.
Then, they calculated the measurements using an indoor air quality model that predicts how pollution travels through a home to estimate residents’ exposure.
“The pollution doesn’t stay in the kitchen,” said Rob Jackson, the principal investigator of the study and a professor of Earth system science at Stanford’s Doerr School. “The pollution we measured travels from the kitchen to distant bedrooms and travels far and fast.”
Within 30 minutes of turning on a gas stove, the nitrogen dioxide levels in the bedrooms exceeded the hourly limits established by the WHO and the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. Concentrations of the pollutant often remained above the agencies’ standards for hours.
“We should focus on solutions to reduce air pollution to try to protect children, pregnant women, the elderly, adults, and public health in general,” said Kari C. Nadeau, a co-author of the study and a doctor specializing in immunology and pediatric asthma.
So, what is being done about the threat that gas stoves pose? Well, legislators in California are considering the implementation of a law that would require gas stoves to be printed with warning labels. In addition, New York has banned gas hookups in many new buildings.
Still, more steps need to be taken to protect public health, especially for renters and those who can’t afford to replace their stoves. Everyone deserves to breathe clean air in their homes.
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