The danger of Pollutants from gas stoves

by bernt & torsten

Gas stoves are a prevalent source of indoor air pollution, releasing harmful pollutants that can go unnoticed without special devices to measure PM2.5 or PM1.0 particulates. A recent report has found that gas stoves are responsible for the premature deaths of 40,000 Europeans annually, surpassing the death toll from road accidents. These cookers emit dangerous gases that contribute to heart and lung diseases, yet public awareness about these dangers remains low. On average, using a gas stove reduces life expectancy by nearly two years, as indicated by a study of households in the EU and UK.

The researchers linked over 36,000 early deaths in the EU and nearly 4,000 more in the UK each year to gas stoves. Their estimates focused solely on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ignoring other harmful gases like carbon monoxide and benzene, meaning the actual toll may be higher.

 

Since 1978, NO2 pollution has been significantly more prevalent in kitchens with gas cookers than those with electric ones. Despite this, the severe impact on lives has only recently been quantified. In the EU, one in three households uses gas for cooking, rising to over half in the UK and more than 60% in countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, and Hungary.

The European Climate Foundation supports the report, which builds upon earlier research examining indoor air quality during gas cooking. This research enabled scientists from Jaume I University and the University of Valencia to establish ratios between indoor and outdoor pollution when using gas stoves, subsequently assessing the health risks associated with indoor NO2 exposure.

The main uncertainty is whether the risk of dying found with outdoor NO2 from primary traffic can be applied to indoor NO2 from gas cooking. It is a fair assumption and is required for the assessment. This study is consistent with earlier findings in the US, which identified gas and propane stoves as contributors to up to 19,000 adult deaths annually.

While the EU has implemented stricter rules on outdoor air quality, no standards exist for indoor air quality. The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) has called for policy measures to phase out gas cookers by limiting emissions, providing financial incentives for cleaner alternatives, and mandating pollution risk labels on cookers.

To minimize exposure to fumes, the public is advised to open windows and use extractor fans while cooking or if possible replace them with an electric model, describing these as "cleaner, safer, and healthier" options.