Did you know that indoor air pollution from cooking with natural gas is even worse than outdoor pollution?
According to a recent study, published in an International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, gas stoves are responsible for 12.7% of childhood asthma cases. Considering the damage caused, US Consumer Product Safety (USCPS) is now considering putting a ban on them.
Researchers found that Gas stoves can emit significant amounts of nitrogen dioxide. They also found that methane gas can also leak from appliances, which is a greenhouse gas that causes Global warming.
Wynne Armand, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, wrote that during 2019 alone, worldwide about two million cases of new childhood asthma were due to nitrogen dioxide pollution.
“It’s like having car exhaust in a home,” said Brady Seals, a manager at RMI who co-authored the research. “And we know that children are some of the people spending the most time at home, along with the elderly.”
Several other studies also point toward the link between gas stoves and asthma
Studies concluded that children that live in homes having gas stoves are 42% more prone to asthma than those living in homes with electric stoves and ovens.
“This study’s findings are directly relevant to discussions about environmental justice,” said Rob Jackson, a scientist at Stanford University who has researched methane leaks from gas stoves.
“No child should have asthma from breathing pollution from gas stoves when safer electric options are available,” he added
