Gas stoves are a significant trigger of childhood asthma, according to study

BOSTON — “I think we are living in a renaissance of gas stove studies,” said Brady Seals, manager of Carbon-Free Buildings at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

The latest of these studies quantifies the contribution of gas range use in the United States with childhood asthma -- and the conclusion: it is significant.

“We knew from 50 years of health research that gas stoves are bad for health, particularly with children,” Seals said. “What we didn’t know was how bad. This study calculated that about 12.7 percent of childhood asthma in the U.S. can be attributable to the gas stove. That 12.7 number is comparable to living with a smoker.”

The researchers used data from the federal American Housing Survey, which contained more detailed information on gas stove use in nine states, including Massachusetts.

“In Massachusetts, unfortunately, the number was higher than the national average, at a little over 15 percent,” Seals said. That ranked Massachusetts fourth among the nine states most closely studied.

RMI partially funded the research, which appears in a recent edition of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

So what’s the problem with gas stoves?

Emissions of toxic and irritating gases, Seals said.

“Carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde have really well-known health impacts,” Seals said. “And nitrogen dioxide or NO2, in particular, is known to cause respiratory distress, with some of the strongest evidence being asthma attacks.”

Seals said that nationally, about a third of Americans cook using gas -- but that a higher proportion of gas-stove households includes children.

“There’s pretty strong evidence that having a gas stove in your home and using it is a risk factor for asthma,” said Jon Levy, ScD, a professor of Environmental Health at the BU School of Public Health. “Obviously, getting rid of a gas stove and replacing it with another technology eliminates the source, but you can do quite a bit with ventilation.”

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers agrees.

That group maintains gas stoves are safe, affordable, and preferred by many Americans.

“A total ban on gas cooking appliances would remove an affordable and preferred technology from the market and would fail to address the overall concern of indoor air quality while cooking,” said spokesperson Jill A. Notini. “Because all forms of cooking, regardless of heat source, generate air pollutants, especially at high temperatures. A focus on increased use of ventilation would be an effective solution to improve indoor air quality while cooking.”

Still, Levy said ventilation isn’t the final answer for every kitchen with a gas stove.

“Especially if you have a smaller home that’s not well-ventilated to start with,” he said. “It can be a pretty large source and ventilation might not get you all the way there.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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