Use of Gas Stoves Triggers Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution in the Home

Households that use gas or propane stoves are at risk of exposure to dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide.

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

A food stall employee cooks in one corner of Kosambi Market, Bandung City, West Java, July 2022.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The latest research has found that households that regularly use gas or propane stoves are at risk of being exposed to unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide pollutants. People living in smaller homes and poor ventilation are at higher risk of being exposed to higher concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

According to a study published in Science Advances on Friday (3/5/2024), exposure to dangerous substances from gas and propane compost does not only occur in the kitchen. This particle pollution can spread throughout the house.

"I did not expect to see pollutant concentrations exceed health standards in the bedroom within one hour of using a gas stove, and (pollutants) lingering there for hours after the stove is turned off," said Rob Jackson from Stanford University's Earth System Science Department, senior author of the study, in a written statement.

Also read: Using a Gas Stove Can Increase the Risk of Respiratory Diseases

Among the negative impacts of exposure to high amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) over time is that it can worsen asthma attacks, is associated with reduced lung development in children, and the risk of premature death.

Although most NO₂ exposure is caused by cars and trucks that run on fossil fuels, researchers estimate the mix of pollutants coming from gas stoves and propane may together be responsible for 200,000 cases of asthma in children in United States today.

Risk factors

Study main author, Yannai Kashtan, from Stanford University said high levels of NO₂ pollution in homes are influenced by how much gas is burned in the stove, the presence of a hood effective smoke, ventilation, and room size.

In this study, researchers used sensors to measure NO₂ concentrations in more than 100 homes of varying sizes, layouts, and ventilation methods, before, during, and after stove use.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

The residents in Meunye Lhee Village, Nibong District, North Aceh Regency, Aceh, use household gas as energy for cooking, as seen on Tuesday (20/6/2023).

They combine these measurements and other data into a model supported by National Institutes for Standards and Technology (NIST) software known as CONTAM. This method is used to simulate air flow, contaminant transport, and occupant exposure room by room within the building.

The results show that national use of gas or propane stoves increases NO₂ exposure by about 4 parts per billion a year. This figure is three-quarters of the level of exposure to NO₂ which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is an unsafe level in outdoor air.

”That does not include all outdoor sources combined. So, you will most likely go over the edge,” Kashtan said.

People who live in smaller homes are at risk of exposure to greater concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

This study is the latest from the Jackson group at Stanford, which observes indoor air pollution from gas stoves. Previous research documented the level of gas stove emissions towards other pollutants, including greenhouse gas methane and carcinogen benzene.

This new research confirms that food emits little or no nitrogen dioxide when cooked, and electric stoves do not produce NO₂. “It's the fuel that matters, not the food,” says Jackson.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Workers arrange 12 kilogram LPG cylinders at an LPG sales agent in the Pasar Rebo area, East Jakarta, July 2023.

Therefore, for users of gas or propane stoves, he urges them to reduce exposure to pollutants by using good ventilation.

House size

In fact, in larger homes, NO₂ concentrations routinely spike to unhealthy levels during and after cooking. This even continues to happen even though the fume hood is on and blowing air out of the room. However, in general people who live in smaller homes are at risk of exposure to greater concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.

People living in houses less than 240 square meters in size may be exposed to twice as much nitrogen dioxide in a year compared to those living in houses larger than 900 square meters.

Also read: Emissions from Gas Stoves Harm Health and the Climate

Due to the size of the house having a significant influence, in the end, there are differences in exposure between income groups. Exposure to indoor air pollution from gas stoves adds to the fact that exposure to sources of nitrogen dioxide pollution outside the room, such as vehicle exhaust, is usually higher among the poor, who often belong to minority communities.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Residents queue to buy 3 kilograms of LPG in Lampeuneurut, Darul Imarah District, Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh, early May 2023.

"People in poor communities are not always able to replace their equipment, or maybe they rent and cannot replace it because they don't own it," said Jackson.

In addition, he said, people who live in small houses inhale more pollution because they use the same stove.

Also read: Gas Stoves Release Benzene which Increases the Risk of Blood Cell Cancer