Gas stoves and nitrogen dioxide exposure

Twenty-two million Americans would no longer be breathing in unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide if they switched from gas and propane stoves to electric stoves. Robert Jackson and colleagues combined outdoor air quality data with estimates of indoor nitrogen dioxide emissions from stoves in more than fifteen cities. As outdoor air quality improves, stoves become an increasingly important source of exposure. According to the World Health Organization, health risks to the respiratory system increase at levels above 5.2 parts per billion by volume. Taking indoor and outdoor sources together, the authors found that average total residential long-term nitrogen dioxide exposure is approximately 10 parts per billion by volume for people with gas stoves and approximately 8 parts per billion by volume for those with electric stoves. For households in the 95th percentile of gas stove use, which corresponds to using multiple gas burners and a gas oven for multiple hours a day, stoves account for more than half of total nitrogen dioxide exposure. The authors estimate that approximately 22 million people whose outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposure falls below World Health Organization guidelines exceed those guidelines due to gas stove use. According to the authors, the study’s ZIP-code-level exposure maps could help identify regions to prioritize for indoor and outdoor air quality interventions, particularly in lower-income communities.

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