Gas and propane stove-generated nitrogen dioxide linked to asthma, claims study

Gas stoves are used in approximately 50 million U.S. homes and millions more worldwide. Gas and propane combustion in stoves emits hazardous air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), benzene (C6H6), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (H2CO), and ultrafine particles. Nitrogen dioxide and benzene emissions are of particular concern, as typical gas stove use can elevate indoor concentrations of these pollutants above health benchmarks. Long-term exposure (averaged over a year) to NO2 has been linked to increased incidence and exacerbation of pediatric asthma, incidence and mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and incidences of lung cancer, preterm birth, and diabetes mellitus. Given the abundance of gas and propane stoves and the dangers of additional NO2 exposure generally, quantifying the burden of NO2 exposures and health outcomes from gas and propane combustion by stoves is needed for assessing public safety.

Gas and propane stoves emit nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution indoors, but the exposures of different U.S. demographic groups are unknown. We estimate NO2 exposure and health consequences using emissions and concentration measurements from >100 homes, a room-specific indoor air quality model, epidemiological risk parameters, and statistical sampling of housing characteristics and occupant behavior. Gas and propane stoves increase long-term NO2 exposure 4.0 parts per billion volume on average across the United States, 75% of the World Health Organization’s exposure guideline. This increased exposure likely causes ~50,000 cases of current pediatric asthma from long-term NO2 exposure alone. Short-term NO2 exposure from typical gas stove use frequently exceeds both World Health Organization and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency benchmarks. People living in residences <800 ft2 in size incur four times more long-term NO2 exposure than people in residences >3000 ft2 in size; American Indian/Alaska Native and Black and Hispanic/Latino households incur 60 and 20% more NO2 exposure, respectively, than the national average.

Reference:

Yannai Kashtan et al. ,Nitrogen dioxide exposure, health outcomes, and associated demographic disparities due to gas and propane combustion by U.S. stoves.Sci. Adv.10,eadm8680(2024).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adm8680