Gas stoves emit benzene, a pollutant linked to cancer, according to a recent study by researchers at Stanford University.
The issue: The research documented higher levels of benzene in homes from gas stoves, reaching levels higher than those found in secondhand tobacco smoke.
* Benzene emissions were detected and repeatable in both natural gas and propane stoves, raising indoor air concentrations above established health benchmarks.
Health risks: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention associates benzene with leukemia and other blood cell cancers.
* Stanford professor of earth sciences Rob Jackson highlights that benzene is also formed in the flames of gas stoves, not just in high-temperature environments like oil fields and refineries.
Industry response: The American Gas Association casts doubt on scientific research showing that burning natural gas in homes can be unhealthy, and the National Propane Gas Association claims the Stanford paper “fails to analyze real-world environments.”
* Medical experts like the American Public Health Association and the American Medical Association have expressed concerns about cooking with gas, and legislative efforts are underway to regulate gas stoves.
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