Benzene emissions from gas stoves linked to cancer, new Stanford study finds – NPR

On January 12th, a fire breaks out in a natural gas-burning stove in Chicago. A new study from Stanford University shows that gas stoves emit benzene, which has been linked to cancer.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

On January 12th, a fire breaks out in a natural gas-burning stove in Chicago. A new study from Stanford University shows that gas stoves emit benzene, which has been linked to cancer.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

When you get a blue flame on your gas stove, that’s not the only heat coming out of the burner. Researchers at Stanford University have found that benzene, which has been linked to cancer, is among the pollutants emitted by stoves.

Studies show that benzene levels can be higher than those found in secondhand cigarette smoke, and benzene contamination can spread throughout your home.

The results of this study add to the body of scientific evidence that domestic emissions are more harmful than gas stove owners believe. And that came as Stove was embroiled in the country’s ongoing culture wars.

What the researchers found

Scientists at Stanford University measured benzene from gas stoves in 87 homes in California and Colorado in 2022. paper It was published in the magazine environmental science and technology. They found that both natural gas and propane stoves “release detectable and reproducible levels of benzene, and in some homes indoor benzene concentrations exceed established health standards.” .

Stanford researcher in Bakersfield, California. Operate the benzene analyzer in the back of the electric vehicle. They used EVs because exhaust pollution contains benzene, which could change the outcome.

Stanford Dore School of Sustainability

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Stanford Dore School of Sustainability

Stanford researcher in Bakersfield, California. Operate the benzene analyzer in the back of the electric vehicle. They used EVs because exhaust pollution contains benzene, which could change the outcome.

Stanford Dore School of Sustainability

The dangers of benzene have long been known.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this chemical is associated with leukemia and other hematologic cancers.

“Benzene is produced in flames and other high-temperature environments, such as flares found in oil fields and refineries. We now know that even home gas stove flames produce benzene,” Rob Jackson said in a statement. said. He is the senior author of the study and Professor of Earth Sciences at Stanford University.

Researchers found that turning one burner on high or heating an oven to 350 degrees can make benzene levels in your home worse than the average level of secondhand cigarette smoke. . And it turns out that toxins don’t just stay in the kitchen, they can travel to other places, like the bedroom.

“We found that good ventilation helps reduce pollutant concentrations, but fans are often ineffective at eliminating benzene exposure,” Jackson said. This is the first paper to analyze benzene emissions from stove and oven use, he said.

The researchers also tested whether benzene is emitted when cooking foods, such as pan-frying salmon or bacon, but found that all contamination came from the gas, not the food. This is important because the gas industry often diverts concerns about contamination from fuels to respiratory illnesses that can be caused by cooking fumes.

There is no research showing that cooking with gas makes you sick. All this to increase the risk of certain diseases.

Gas industry reaction

The American Gas Association, which represents natural gas utilities, regularly questions scientific studies showing that burning natural gas in homes can be unhealthy.Last year, a powerful industry group criticized Peer-reviewed study It shows how benzene leaks even when the gas stove is turned off. AGA provided Similar criticism of Analysis for 2022showed that 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the United States can be attributed to home gas stove use.

In an email, the AGA said it was still evaluating the study. In a statement to NPR, the National Propane Gas Association sought to cast doubt on the peer-reviewed study. The NPGA said the Stanford paper “fails to analyze real-world environments,” and that when cooking with gas, “air quality is controlled by a variety of means, including ventilation options such as range hoods and exhaust fans.” We can manage it,” he suggests.

Medical experts are starting to take a stand against gas cooking. Nitrogen dioxide emissions are of greatest concern as they can lead to respiratory diseases such as asthma.of American Public Health Association classifying gas stoves as a ‘public health concern’, American Medical Association It warns that cooking with gas increases the risk of childhood asthma.

gas stove too Appeared Earlier this year, the issue became a culture war after Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Commissioner Richard Tramka Jr. suggested the government might consider tightening regulations on new gas stoves. recognized as a problem.

Members of the Republican-majority US House of Representatives recently introduced and passed two bills aimed at limiting new restrictions on gas stoves. One is called “Observe the gas stove lawAnother proposal, called “”, could prevent the Department of Energy from implementing the proposed range of energy efficiency standards.gas stove protection and liberty law“Prohibits the CPSC from banning or further regulating the sale of gas stoves.With Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and White House, neither bill is likely to pass.”

What can be done about gas stove contamination?

Gas companies have long wondered how gas stoves pollute indoor air, A new style of burner was also developed Less gas usage and less nitrogen dioxide emissions. But manufacturers say they are expensive, difficult to clean, and lack consumer demand.

But if you’re worried about contamination from cooking on a gas stove, there are a few things you can do. The most obvious is to stop cooking on gas and switch to electric.

there is campaign Efforts are underway to encourage people to do so, for both health and climate reasons. The main component of natural gas is methane, which leaks into the atmosphere throughout the gas supply chain and is a powerful greenhouse gas.

Gas stoves are connected to production and supply systems that discharge pollutants into homes and leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during drilling, fracking, processing and transportation.

NPR’s Meredith Mioke

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NPR’s Meredith Mioke

Gas stoves are connected to production and supply systems that discharge pollutants into homes and leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during drilling, fracking, processing and transportation.

NPR’s Meredith Mioke

However, while stove replacement is expensive, there are cheaper interim solutions. You can purchase a portable IH cooker. consumer report I have some advice here. There are also plug-in appliances such as toaster ovens that can reduce the time you use your gas stove.

And when it’s time to replace your stove, government subsidies are now available through the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act passed last year.The nonprofit Rewiring America has a guide here.