Gas stoves are worse for climate and health than previously thought

by CORRYN WETZEL

A new study is heating up the debate over gas-powered stovetops

If you live in one of the 40 million American households with a gas stove, it could be leaking even when it’s turned off.

According to a new study from Stanford scientists, many stoves are constantly emitting gasses that can warm the planet and pose serious health risks when inhaled. The research, which appeared in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, found methane emissions from gas stoves across the United States are roughly equivalent to the carbon dioxide released by half a million gas-powered cars in a year.

“The mere existence of the stoves is really what’s driving those methane emissions,” says study author Eric Lebel, a research scientist with PSE Healthy Energy, to Danielle Renwick for Nexus Media News. “We found that over three-quarters of the methane emissions from stoves are emitted while the stove is off. So these little tiny leaks from the stoves, they really do add up.”

While leaky natural gas pipelines have been studied extensively, scientists know less about the climate and health impacts of gas-burning stoves. More than a third of Americans cook with gas, and some get additional exposure from space and water heaters. All of these natural gas-burning appliances can emit gasses that can trigger asthma, coughing, and potentially increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.

To guage the impact of these emissions, researchers measured three key gasses from stoves in 53 homes across seven California counties. The team chose two gasses—methane and carbon dioxide—because of their contribution to climate change, and selected nitrogen oxides because of their known risk to human health. The scientists set up plastic partitions between the kitchens and other rooms and used instruments that measure wavelengths of light to determine the concentration of certain gases.

To their surprise, they found that more than three-quarters of the methane emissions happened when both old and new gas stoves were turned off. 

The most significant health risks happen when the stove is lit, the authors note, because the process creates nitrogen dioxide as a byproduct. Increasing airflow by using a range hood can help reduce the personal health risk of natural gas-burning appliances, but most individuals report rarely using their ventilation system.

In a small kitchen, it only took a few minutes of unventilated stove use to generate emissions levels above national health standards. According to a meta-analysis from 2013, children living in homes with gas stoves were 42 percent more likely to experience symptoms associated with asthma, and 24 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lifetime asthma.

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