The risks of - and alternatives to - gas stoves

Although the national conversation over a potential ban on gas stoves - a scenario that's generally unlikely - has waned, questions may linger over just how much the traditional cooking appliance affects human health and the environment, and what alternatives are out there.

Swift opposition rose after an official on the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission suggested his agency might consider regulatory action in the face of growing research that links gas stoves to harmful pollutants. Amid the outcry, officials were quick to insist the government has no plans to seek a ban or other significant policy changes.

But researchers stress gas stoves come with some risks, both for the planet and people.

The documentation of the association between gas cooking and childhood health problems has a long, robust history, said Brady Seals with the clean energy advocacy group RMI.

Seals, a manager on the carbon-free buildings team at the nonprofit, focuses on the health and air quality benefits of decarbonization.

"People should know about the health evidence, and they should know about the risks, so they can make the best decisions for their family," Seals said.

Concerns about the appliances also are familiar to municipalities throughout the country, most notably New York City, whose city council moved to prohibit the installation of gas stoves in new buildings two years ago as part of the effort to fight climate change.

Indeed, environmental groups tout the dual benefits of electric alternatives, which save energy and reduce indoor air pollution.

Cooking with gas stoves emits nitrogen dioxide and small particulate matter, both lung irritants that can cause or worsen respiratory illnesses. The appliance also leaks methane gas, even when turned off, researchers at Stanford recently found in a study of stoves in 53 California homes.

The same study reported that nitrogen dioxide emissions from some of the gas burners and ovens tested exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standard for outdoor air quality. The appliances that went beyond that standard did so within a few minutes.

"More and more climate groups are weaving in health, and health groups are weaving in climate, because we're realizing that it's almost impossible to disentangle the two," Seals said.

A recent RMI study, co-authored by Seals, found a link between gas stoves and 12.7% of childhood asthma. Close to 80% of Illinois households with children cook with gas, and 21% of Illinois childhood asthma cases have been linked with gas stoves. For comparison, the study reports that in Florida, where only 9% of households with children cook with gas, the link was much lower at 3%.

Seals emphasized the RMI report, which was based on observation alone, does not directly cite gas stoves as a cause of childhood asthma, but instead reveals a link between the stoves and the respiratory condition.

From an environmental standpoint, gas appliances like the stove are a concern due to the larger carbon footprint of the country's building sector: Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of all U.S. carbon emissions, according to the federal EPA.

While gas stoves are a smaller greenhouse gas emitter and energy user than other appliances, a 2022 Stanford study revealed the methane leaked from gas stoves inside U.S. homes has a climate impact comparable to the carbon dioxide emissions of about half a million gasoline-powered cars.

Unlike other appliances, the gas stove is not required to be vented outside, a primary factor for indoor air quality concerns.

The American Gas Association, which represents local energy companies that deliver natural gas throughout the U.S., maintains the agencies responsible for protecting consumer health and safety have documented no risks to respiratory health from gas stoves.

"The CIAQ has not identified natural gas cooking emissions as an important issue concerning asthma or respiratory illness," the association wrote on its website, referring to the Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality.

"Furthermore, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and EPA do not present gas ranges as a significant contributor to adverse air quality or health hazard in their technical or public information literature, guidance, or requirements."

The Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality, made up of two dozen federal agencies led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, routinely addresses indoor air quality issues of public importance.

A 2018 AGA study further posits that policy-driven residential electrification, such as a gas stove ban, would cost more money and be less effective than other decarbonization efforts.

"Reductions from policy-driven residential electrification would reduce GHG emissions by 1 to 1.5% of U.S. GHG emissions in 2035," the study states. "The average cost of U.S. GHG emissions reductions achieved by policy-driven residential electrification would range between $572 and $806 per metric ton of CO2 reduced, which is significantly higher than the estimated cost of other GHG reduction options."

To mitigate potential exposure to indoor pollution from gas stoves, Seals of RMI recommends using a range hood and cooking on the back burners, where the fan will be most effective. You also can prioritize cooking with electric appliances like toaster ovens and air fryers, she added.

Going electric can further involve using an induction cooktop, or completely transitioning to an electric or induction range when the time is right. Cooktops refer to the stovetop, while a range is the full combination of a cooktop and an oven.

While both alternatives are powered by electricity, induction appliances function by transferring heat to cookware through electromagnetism, with no heat coming from the surface itself. As long as cookware has a magnetic bottom, it will work with induction.

Meanwhile, more common electric cooktops have elements or coils directly heated by electricity.

At Abt Electronics and Appliances in Glenview, appliance specialist Shirley Hood said the vast majority of the company's stove selections are gas. It's where the market is, she said. Gas stoves remain a staple in many states, with 38% of households nationwide using the appliance, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

But for people looking at alternatives, Hood said potential buyers should be aware that electric appliances require an outlet with higher capacity than what's needed to power a gas stove, and wiring work could be necessary before making a switch.

Between the two, Hood added that while electric cooktops are more affordable, induction cooktops heat up faster, are more energy-efficient and remain cool after cooking. An induction top also lacks dedicated cooking spaces, called elements, allowing you to cook more freely.

As part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, families can obtain up to $840 in rebates for a new electric or electric induction stove. Websites like Rewiring America allow you to plug in your information and get an estimate.

• Jenny Whidden is a Report For America corps member covering climate change and the environment for the Daily Herald. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.