What is the Problem

Use of gas stoves produces a range of harmful pollutants, including Nitrogen Dioxide (NO), Nitrogen Oxide (NO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Formaldehyde, Methane, and Particulate Matter.

This leads to a number of health issues (respiratory illness, childhood asthma, lung infections, cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive decline, premature death) and harmful impact to the environment (global warming, contamination of water).

Unlike impact of wood stoves, we don’t have accurate numbers of total number deaths and illness resulting from use of gas stoves. However, there have been a number of studies (spanning 40+ years) that have shown the impact of these harmful pollutants to health and to the environment. In addition, it has been found that indoor environment with use of gas stoves can be more polluted than the outdoors. Impact from this has been amplified due to COVID, as people are spending more time indoors.

What is the Root Cause

1) Lack of awareness: natural gas is perceived as a “clean fuel”

• This claim is partially true. Gas combustion produces only negligible quantities of sulfur dioxide, mercury, and particulates. Thus, it is less polluting than combustion of coal or oil, and this benefits health.

• At the same time, natural gas produces a number of toxic gases (mentioned above) and is definitely not a “clean fuel.” The use of an electric stove is cleaner than gas stoves.

• Gas lobby has spent a lot of time and money in marketing natural gas as safe and clean.

2) Lack of clear guidance by local and federal air regulatory bodies

• Despite a lot of evidence (40+ years of research), various local air regulatory bodies and federal air regulatory bodies (e.g. EPA) have not focused on the impact of indoor air pollution. As a result, there are no maximum levels recommended for indoor air for most of toxic gases released by combustion of gas stove (we rely on outdoor air standards as a proxy or WHO indoor air standards).

3) Lack of financial incentives to make the switch

• Even if consumers want to make the switch from Gas Stoves to Electric stoves, its expensive to do so. There are no financial incentives in place to make it easy.

4) Impact to health is not seen in the short-term and not directly attributable

• Most people view gas stoves as okay for health, as they don’t see an immediate impact to their health (& even if they have ill health, they are not able to attribute it to use of gas stoves). They have seen their parents and grandparents use gas stoves, so they perceive gas stoves to be safe.

What am I doing

• Deeply understand the problem

• Conduct my own experiments to measure levels of these toxic gases in a wide variety of situations

• Develop insights and use these to increase consumer awareness

• Influence air regulatory bodies to pass legislation and offer financial incentives for consumers to make the switch

What can you do

• Educate yourself on this topic. Do your own research. Do your own measurements in your home (using off-the-shelf sensors or build your own)

• Write to your local air regulatory body to make this topic a priority

• Make the switch to a more clean source (e.g. Induction Stoves)