20 Jun 2023 • A new Stanford-led analysis has found, indoor levels of the highly flammable, carcinogenic benzene rise above those in secondhand tobacco smoke upon lighting a gas stove. The study adds to the growing body of evidence that natural gas cooking stoves may pose health risks. Study results from evaluating benzene levels while gas and propane stoves were in use were published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Researchers evaluated benzene levels in 87 homes in California and Colorado while the stoves had burners turned to high or when the oven was heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers found that indoor concentrations of benzene formed in the flames of gas stoves can be worse than average concentrations from secondhand smoke, that benzene can migrate into other rooms far from the kitchen, and that concentrations measured in bedrooms can exceed national and international health benchmarks.

These results highlight the importance of combustion by gas stoves for indoor air quality and human exposure in future policies designed to protect people from air pollution, particularly people in lower-income neighborhoods with smaller home sizes.

Source: NDTV | Read full story