Opinion: Gas stove pollution is putting Texans’ health at risk
Despite what you may have heard, the federal government has no plans to rip out gas stoves from anyone’s kitchen. The truth is that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), tasked with ensuring the safety of the country’s products, is only considering regulations on new gas stoves to address the hazard they pose to our health.
The controversy started last month when CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said on a PIRG-hosted webinar that the agency will consider regulations on new gas stoves. Later Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric clarified that the CPSC is looking at ways to reduce dangerous emissions from gas stoves but does not have any plans to ban them.
The CPSC is right to investigate the health risks of gas stoves. Nearly 50 years of studies show that gas stoves are bad for our health. Most recently, an alarming study showed the link between gas stoves and childhood asthma and suggested that gas stoves are responsible for over 12% of childhood asthma cases nationwide — a similar risk for children as exposure to secondhand smoke.
When a fossil fuel like natural gas is burned in our kitchens, it releases pollutants directly into our homes. Using a gas stove releases significant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution indoors at concentrations that can exceed outdoor air quality standards. Methane-burning gas stoves also release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and dangerous particulate matter into the air. Nitrogen oxides can aggravate asthma and other respiratory problems while particulate matter can cause lung and heart problems.
Even when gas stoves are off, they keep polluting. A Boston study found 21 hazardous air pollutants – including benzene – leaking into homes from unburned gas. A similar study conducted in California kitchens found hazardous air pollutants accumulating in homes through leaking gas. Benzene is a known carcinogen linked to blood disorders and leukemia. Researchers found benzene concentrations above California’s recommended exposure limit – levels comparable to living with a smoker.
When it comes to addressing gas stove pollution, proper ventilation is important and can help significantly. Texas should enact tighter, more uniform standards and enforcement on gas stove ventilation and hoods to reduce people’s exposure to toxic indoor pollution.
For those with gas stoves who might be considering kitchen upgrades soon or are concerned about the health impacts, now would be a good time to look into electric or induction alternatives.
Since electric stoves do not emit high levels of pollutants like NO2, they are inherently cleaner than gas stoves. Rather than mitigate exposure to pollutants, switching to electric stoves cuts off the pollution at its source. Induction cooking is a reliable, efficient alternative to cooking with gas.
Although many cooks are concerned about temperature control, according to Consumer Reports, induction stovetops are actually superior to gas for dialing up and down the heat. Cooking times are shorter, and electric-powered stoves eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels inside the home.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden signed into law last August, includes $4.5 billion in funding for states to provide rebates for electric appliances, including stoves, cooktops, and wall ovens.
Starting later this year, people may be eligible for a rebate of up to $840 on an electric cooking appliance. That means, depending on the model, a brand new induction or electric stove could cost as little as a couple hundred dollars.
The kitchen should be a place where family comes together to enjoy meals and time together. The appliances we use there should not contaminate our air with dangerous gases or expose our children to asthma. Texans should start transitioning now to safer, cleaner electric alternatives.
Livaudais is the communications manager with TexPIRG in Austin.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Opinion: Gas stove pollution is putting Texans’ health at risk
