In a recent study published in Journal of Hazardous Materials, researchers examined the impact of benzene exposure - a hazardous chemical emitted by natural gas and propane stoves - on cancer risk.
In short:
- Gas stove emissions significantly elevated cancer risks in homes with inadequate ventilation.
- Children are especially vulnerable - their cancer risk from gas stove emissions was 1.85 times higher than the risk in adults.
- Improving ventilation through the use of vented stove hoods reduced benzene exposure, but did not fully eliminate carcinogenic health risks.
Key quotes:
“Our results should help facilitate prioritization of air toxins for potential environmental regulation and pollution control, and ultimately help to protect public health, especially for the people who are using gas stoves in their homes.”
Why this matters:
In the US, people spend on average about 90% of their time indoors. Cooking on gas and propane stoves is one of the largest contributors to indoor air pollution, producing not only benzene - a known carcinogen - but also carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no safe threshold for long-term exposure to benzene, and the authors of this study emphasize the need for regulations to mitigate the risks of indoor air pollution.
Related EHN coverage:
- Portable air filters in daycares can reduce indoor pollution by 83%: Study
- Levels of cancer-causing benzene reached new heights in beleaguered Channelview, Texas. Regulators never told residents.
More resources:
- World Health Organization (WHO): Household air pollution
- American Lung Association: What Makes Indoor Air Unhealthy?
Garg, Anchal et al. for Journal of Hazardous Materials vol 492. July 15, 2025
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