If you think staying inside protects you from exposure to air pollution, a new Stanford University-led study suggests you may want to take a closer look at your kitchen.
Researchers found that using gas and propane stoves can expose people to indoor nitrogen dioxide levels similar to the total pollution they would get from all outdoor sources combined.
Nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, is a pollutant associated with higher risks of heart and lung disease, asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, preterm birth, diabetes and lung cancer. While most Americans still get the majority of their NO2 exposure from outdoor sources like vehicles, the study shows that indoor risks are just as real.
In a summary of the findings, Rob Jackson, senior author of the study, says:
“We know that outdoor air pollution harms our health, but we assume our indoor air is safe. Our research shows that if you use a gas stove, you’re often breathing as much nitrogen dioxide pollution indoors from your stove as you are from all outdoor sources combined.”
The research — published in a scientific journal of the National Academy of Sciences — combined indoor NO2 measurements with outdoor air data, building characteristics for 133 million homes and statistics on how people actually cook.
The results show that for about 22 million Americans — especially those in rural areas and smaller homes — cooking with a gas stove is enough to push their long-term NO2 exposure above recommended safety thresholds, even when outdoor air alone wouldn’t.
In big cities, where outdoor NO2 levels are already high and living spaces are often small, total exposure can be even worse, with stove emissions stacking onto traffic pollution.
Additional research from the same team also found gas stoves emit unsafe levels of NO2 that can linger for hours after use and that they release benzene, a carcinogen linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
The good news: Changes in the kitchen can make a real difference.
On average, replacing gas stoves with electric stoves can reduce exposure by more than a quarter. It reduces the risk even more for the most frequent stove users — by about half.
If you can’t make the switch, though, researchers have other practical advice for reducing exposure.
When you cook, use a range hood and/or open a window, Harvard suggests. Also consider getting an air purifier, which can help with more than just NO2.
You can also use electric appliances like kettles, toaster ovens and slow cookers in place of your stove. Portable induction cooktops can offer a relatively low-cost way to cut back on gas use, too.
Stanford notes that state and local rebates, low- or no-interest loans and federal tax credits and rebates can help offset the cost of replacing gas appliances if that’s something you’re interested in doing.
It might be worth considering, as the Stanford research team isn’t the only group noting the health risks of gas stoves; the U.S. government is too.
For more on the risks of gas stoves, read our recent reporting in “Federal Report Highlights Health Hazards of Gas Stoves: 3 Unique Dangers They Pose — and How to Minimize Them.”
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