A new research study by Yannai S. Kashtan, Metta Nicholson, Colin Finnegan, Zutao Ouyang, Eric D. Lebel, Drew R. Michanowicz, Seth B.C. Shonkoff and Robert B. Jackson (published by American Chemical Society, June 15, 2023) is, according to Boston Green Action co-founder Martyn Roetter, uniquely alarming. The study extends our understanding of the extent of harms that stoves can cause to human health, especially in lower income households with smaller home sizes and less effective ventilation.
The originality of this work goes beyond the well documented impact of the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide and methane) of gas stoves on climate warming and of nitrogen oxides on respiratory diseases, notably childhood asthma. Significant new results are presented on these stoves’ emissions of benzene, a toxic chemical and Group 1 known human carcinogen. The authors demonstrate that concentrations of this carcinogen—for which no safe level has been established—exceed various indoor exposure benchmarks set by international and US and state agencies.
According to Roetter, the authors report that leaks of natural gas and propane contain some benzene. As a result, humans are exposed to this carcinogen even when these gas stoves are turned off. The benzene spreads through homes and is found in bedrooms, not just in kitchens. They also find evidence that the food cooked is not itself a source of benzene, discrediting one argument by the “expert witnesses” hired by the gas industry that cooking with gas or propane is not really to blame because there are other sources of toxic chemicals in indoor environments, from tobacco smoke to the food cooked on these or any other stoves. In contrast the authors find no emissions of benzene from electric stoves (induction, radiant or electric coil).
“This argument is an example of ‘whataboutism’ aimed at diverting attention from a proven source of harm, implying that it is unreasonable and unfair to focus upon that source while not addressing other causes, whether real (tobacco smoke) or not (cooked food),” Roetter explains.
“I do not imagine that this report will change the minds of the ‘God, Guns and Gas’ advocates. As Tina Turner might sing to reflect their attitude, ‘What’s facts got to do with it, do with it?’ But I hope it will help convince others both to take steps to minimize the risks to health when they are indoors if they rely on gas or propane for cooking, and to support efforts to make a transition away from gas as efficiently, effectively, affordably and rapidly as possible.”
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Here is an excerpt from the report’s Study Implications and Suggestions for Future Research section:
“Our findings suggest that the concentrations of benzene produced by combustion from gas stoves and ovens indoors may increase health risks under some conditions. Further research is needed to assess actual exposures and the full health impacts of benzene emitted indoors from combustion by gas stoves. We also showed that using a gas burner or oven may increase kitchen and bedroom benzene concentrations above chronic exposure guidelines, depending on ventilation conditions and home size. By measuring benzene concentrations in bedrooms during and after gas burner and oven use, we also showed that benzene produced from gas stoves migrates well beyond the kitchen. People outside the kitchen can be exposed to elevated levels of benzene for hours after the stove is turned off.
A better understanding of indoor pollutants and air quality is also needed, in part because people spend much of their time indoors. One study of 1760 California residents, for instance, determined that people spent 87% of their time indoors. Our results show that gas and propane combustion by stoves emits benzene directly into indoor air. These results highlight the importance of combustion by gas stoves for indoor air quality and human exposure in future policies designed to protect people from air pollution, particularly people in lower-income neighborhoods with smaller home sizes.”
