Heath Effects From Gas Stove Pollution
By M. Walker
As the coronavirus quarantine continues amidst multiple global outbreaks in varying stages of containment, millions of people are still sheltering in place and more intimate with their homes than usual. After months of sheltering in place, many are expressing concern at the quality of their home’s indoor environments, especially as they read about airborne virus spread. Of course the virus is a paramount concern for just about everyone, but it has also become a vehicle of education on the broader topic of indoor air quality at home. It’s not difficult to imagine the shock of learning that most homes were not built with a thorough understanding of indoor air quality or how to create conditions for healthy home environments.
The deeper you dive, the scarier it can feel. When the realization sets in that some of the most seemingly innocuous appliances in the home can contribute to negative health impacts. Enter the common household gas stove.
We just finished reading a recently released by the Rocky Mountain Institute in partnership with Mothers Out Front, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and The Sierra Club about the health and air quality impacts of gas ranges in homes. The results are sadly unsurprising (at least not surprising if you’ve spent any time at all reading about the indoor air quality crisis). Over 40 years of evidence indicates that gas stoves, common in kitchens across the United States, can lead to unhealthy levels of indoor air pollution.
“Over 40 years of evidence indicates that gas stoves, common in kitchens across the United States, can lead to unhealthy levels of indoor air pollution.”
The report is a comprehensive synthesis of of 4 decades of expert findings in research conducted across scientific disciplines and leaves us with 8 key findings.
Indoor air is largely unregulated and is often more polluted than outdoor air.
Gas stoves can be a large source of toxic pollutants indoors.
Indoor pollution from gas stoves can reach levels that would be illegal outdoors.
There are well-documented risks to respiratory health from gas stove pollution.
Children are particularly at risk of respiratory illnesses associated with gas stove pollution.
Lower-income households may be at higher risk of gas stove pollution exposure.
Ventilation is critical but is not the sole strategy to prevent exposure.
Electric cooking is a cleaner household cooking option.
It’s also important to remember that while these findings should be alarming, there are also tangible steps we can take to mitigate these negative health impacts. Air pollution is preventable and by addressing pollution at the source—in this case the gas stove—negative health impacts can be mitigated.
As we began to write this digest, we were subsequently notified that David Roberts published his own comprehensive digest of the same synthesis report in Vox Magazine. Rather than compete with the vastly larger readership of that magazine and reinvent the wheel, we’re just going to send you a link to it here. It’s well worth a read!