Gas Stoves Mean Dangerous Pollution in Most Homes, Study Finds
A study spanning seven European countries found that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide were twice as high, on average, in homes that cooked with gas.
Onions being sauteed on a gas ring on a domestic kitchen stove in London.
Photographer: Betty Laura Zapata/BloombergHouseholds with gas stoves are regularly exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution that are above legal limits, a Europe-wide study found. By measuring exposure to nitrogen dioxide in homes with either gas or electric cooking appliances, researchers determined that NO2 concentrations were twice as high, on average, in homes that cooked with gas.
“The severity of indoor air pollution that is found in homes with gas cooking equipment is significantly higher than what we're seeing in electric cooking homes,” said Nicole Kearney, director of CLASP Europe, the NGO that commissioned the study. “The levels of indoor air pollution are higher often than what we see outdoors.”