A recent study identifies alarming health risks from nitrogen dioxide emissions in gas stoves, including significant contributions to childhood asthma and adult mortality rates.
Diane Bernard reports for DeSmog.
In short:
- The study highlights a direct link between NO2 exposure from gas stoves and 200,000 cases of childhood asthma.
- Research indicates disproportionate impacts on minority and low-income households due to higher exposure levels.
- Legislation in California and Illinois is moving forward to mandate health risk warning labels on gas stoves.
Key quote:
"I didn’t expect to see pollutant concentrations breach health benchmarks in bedrooms within an hour of gas stove use, and stay there for hours after the stove is turned off."
— Rob Jackson, professor at Stanford University
Why this matters:
Emissions of nitrogen dioxide, a noxious byproduct of gas combustion, have been increasingly linked to a variety of health issues, including childhood asthma and elevated adult mortality rates. This colorless, odorless gas can accumulate indoors without proper ventilation, reaching levels that some studies have found exceed both outdoor air quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and occupational safety guidelines.
Related: Oil and gas production responsible for $77 billion in annual US health damages
