Researchers Switch to Electric Stoves After Seeing How Gas Stoves Pollute Homes

switch to electric stove gas stove electric stove air pollution indoor air pollution Tara Kahan University of Saskatchewan Standford University Rob Jackson Shelly Miller University of Colorado Standford study gas stove emissions methane nitrous oxide toxic leaks

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Apr 22, 12:41 pm

Photo: (Photo : DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)

A group of researchers decided to ditch their gas stoves at home and switch to electric stoves or induction stoves after seeing the amount of air pollution it emits within an hour of exposure.

In a report from CBC, chemist Tara Kahan said that she and her colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan ran a study on air pollution inside the home and took readings of the gas stove emissions. They were shocked and horrified to discover high traces of nitrous oxide indoors after a session of cooking.

In the U.S., Standford University environmental science expert Rob Jackson also studied gas stove leaks, which prompted him to switch to electric stoves. Environmental engineer, Shelly Miller of the University of Colorado, has also taken out the gas stove in her house after learning that cooking with gas can exacerbate respiratory conditions, pulmonary diseases, and cardiovascular health problems, especially in young kids.

What's Wrong With Gas Stoves?

According to a Standford study published in the journal Energy and Climate, the methane leaking from gas stoves across many homes in America may be comparable to the carbon dioxide emissions of half a million gas-powered vehicles. Apart from causing air pollution, these toxic leaks also make homes slightly warm, triggering more disease-causing pollutants indoors.

Eric Lebel, the study's lead author, said that measures to minimize these emissions are hardly in place in homes and buildings; thus, millions of houses have poor indoor air quality. In the U.S., at least 40 million families cook with gas stoves. Some of these appliances are featured with hoods for extra ventilation, which is supposed to lower the concentration of nitrogen oxides. However, as the researchers discovered, only 25 to 40 percent of households use the hood.

The study authors also learned that cooktops are the highest emitters of nitrous oxide, and about three-quarters of gas stoves that emit methane are turned off. This means that the leaks could be coming from the fittings and other connections.

Curiously, the experts did not find any links between the age of the gas stove and the emissions. However, the bigger the stoves are, the higher their nitrous oxide emissions tend to be.

What Homeowners and Parents Must Do?

The most reasonable thing to do is to stop cooking using a gas stove and switch to an electric stove. However, this option might not be practical for some families who do not have the budget to buy a new appliance.

Jackson, however, said parents could always use the hood ventilation or exhaust fan. Most people don't like to turn on the hood because of its noise, per a Stanford report. However, knowing that it can help filter out half of the air pollution indoors, if it's working well, should be enough to convince responsible homeowners and parents.

Besides switching and using the hood, it will also help to cook with the windows in the kitchen wide open to facilitate better airflow.