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United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been considering a ban on gas stoves in America due to concerns over consumer health and safety. While the CPSC recently clarified in a statement that the agency has not proposed any regulatory action on gas stoves at this time, nor has there been any formal recommendations or bans on gas stoves from the CPSC, health experts said there are health risks associated with using the appliance. According to report, the risks include exposure to pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and methane. Headlines about a ban on gas stoves from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) neglect to mention one thing: The idea of a ban came informally from one commissioner, and the agency has no plans on the horizon to propose a gas stove ban.
The CPSC does, however, plan to monitor their impact on your health. “To be clear, I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so,” Alexander Hoehn-Saric, CPSC Chair, told Verywell in a statement. “The CPSC is researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address any health risks.” He added the agency is looking for ways to reduce related indoor air quality hazards and is actively engaged in strengthening voluntary safety standards for gas stoves. Because while they’re not banned, they’re still not great for your health. “Gas stoves can emit dangerous levels of toxic chemicals—even when not in use—and @USCPSC will consider all approaches to regulation,” the CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. Trumka also
d gas stoves a “hidden hazard,” saying any option could be on the table to regulate the appliances. “Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” he said. “Besides barring the manufacture or import of gas stoves, options include setting standards on emissions from the appliances.” However, in a statement sent to Verywell, CPSC press secretary Patty Davis said the agency has not proposed any regulatory action on gas stoves at this time, and that any regulatory action by the Commission would involve “a lengthy process.”
“Agency staff plan to start gathering data and perspectives from the public on potential hazards associated with gas stoves, and proposed solutions to those hazards later this year,” the statement said. “Commission staff also continue to work with voluntary standards organisations to examine gas stove emissions and address potential hazards.” Trumka later clarified in a tweet that the CPSC “isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves,” and that any new regulations put into place would only “apply to new products.”
Potential health risks of gas stoves
While no recommendation or ban has been put into place by the CPSC regarding gas stoves, experts said there are health risks associated with using the appliances. Burning gas indoors produces a mixture of harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in outdoor air, but has been given much less attention indoors, said Josiah Kephart, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University.
“Breathing high levels of NO2 irritates the airways of your respiratory system and can trigger respiratory symptoms,” Kephart said. “Long-term exposure to NO2 can lead to chronic inflammation that contributes to the development of disease in the lungs, heart, and other organs.” Gas stoves can also emit other indoor pollutants such as carbon monoxide, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), and methane, which can affect an individual’s overall health and wellbeing, said Robert Glatter, MD, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
“Black, Latino, and lower-income households are disproportionately affected by these effects,” Glatter said, explaining these groups are more likely to live in close proximity to outdoor air pollution sources or in a home with poor ventilation. Even when a gas stove is off, it can leak small quantities of natural gas, which is mostly composed of methane. According to Glatter, this can exacerbate the progression of coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, and even contribute to cancer. Because of their ability to irritate the respiratory system when inhaled, indoor air pollutants are especially harmful to children and older adults, including those with asthma.
A recent study found that almost 13 per cent of current childhood asthma cases in the U.S. can be linked to the use of a gas stove. In some states where gas stove use is higher, like Illinois, California, and New York, that number is closer to 20 per cent. “Our research also found that almost 43 per cent of homes with children cook with gas, which affects children’s exposure to gas stove pollution,” said study coauthor Brady Seals.
Culled from Verywell health
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