Gas Stoves and Air Purifiers
Gas stoves have been a frequently discussed topic in January 2023. There have been health and safety concerns surrounding the appliance, and while these discussions aren’t new, the urgency about the dangers of gas stoves is being raised.
Federal agencies are even discussing the idea of banning gas stoves in new homes built due to the childhood asthma connection and contribution to air pollution and climate change. This ban would only affect newly constructed homes if it happens at all. Either way, it’s important to understand the dangers of gas stoves to your household and how to protect your health from gas stoves, other gas home appliances, and indoor air pollutants.
The Dangers of Gas Stoves
Gas stoves release dangerous gases like methane and nitrogen oxides and if these gases are not properly dispersed outside your home they can cause health issues. Gas stoves leak methane into your indoor air even when not being used and negatively affect your indoor air quality.
Gas stoves burn natural gas and release air pollutants in this process. Nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter are created in this combustion process. Gas stoves are not the only common combustion device in our homes, but their presence does contribute to poor indoor air quality.
Gas stoves are also a source of carbon monoxide that can release the dangerous odorless gas into your indoor air. Carbon monoxide exposure can cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness, confusion, and nausea.
Almost 13% of childhood asthma in the US has been attributed, in part, to gas stove use. While this direct correlation may not be conclusive, it’s a shocking statistic. Even if gas stoves don’t cause asthma they emit dangerous gases (methane and nitrogen oxides) that are known to aggravate respiratory illnesses like asthma.
There are countless sources that contribute to your overall indoor air pollution but gas stoves are one of these sources that require protective measures like installing and regularly checking carbon monoxide detectors.
The Effects of Indoor Air Pollution
Combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide, mold, pet dander, ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) all contribute to indoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution exposure has a wide range of effects on human health.
Exposure to air pollution can lead to irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Indoor air pollution can aggravate respiratory diseases like asthma making symptoms worse. You could also experience headaches, dizziness, and fatigue if exposed to indoor air pollution. Prolonged high levels of exposure can even lead to respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.
All of these physical health issues that can arise can certainly affect your mental health as well. It’s difficult to focus and function if you’re constantly dealing with symptoms from indoor air pollution exposure like headaches or an irritated throat.
Mental and physical health issues can occur with prolonged exposure to air pollution, and while we can’t individually control outdoor ambient air pollution we can control our indoor air pollution exposure.
A gas stove appliance is going to raise your indoor air pollution levels even if you’re not constantly using it. While there are preventative measures you can take to lower your gas stove usage or increase ventilation while cooking or baking there’s still the issue of the appliance itself leaking gases into your home even when off.
Other gas home appliances like fireplaces, furnaces, and water heaters can potentially cause the same issues as gas stoves. An air purifier with a carbon activated filter can help filter out VOCs created by gas home appliances and create healthier indoor air quality.
How to Protect Your Health from Gas Stoves and other Indoor Air Pollutants
Switching to electric appliances is the safest route to go if you’re worried about the indoor air pollutants from your gas stove. It’s not feasible that everyone can or should get rid of gas stove appliances, but you could invest in other electric appliances that help lower your gas stove usage. Think slow cookers or electric kettles so you’re not using the oven for hours or turning on the stovetop just to boil water. But again, it can emit hazardous indoor air pollution even when not in use, so the overall safest option is to not have it in your home at all.
This being said, there are several reasons why people would keep gas stoves in their home like not being able to afford a huge updated appliance (though there are rebate programs available) or they’re renters who don’t have the option to make changes like this to their living arrangements.
Try not to overly worry about your gas stove if you happen to have the appliance in your home. Yes, it creates indoor air pollution, but so does all types of oven cooking. Just being aware that gas stoves tend to create more air pollutants like methane and nitrogen oxides is a good first step to being able to protect yourself from pollutants created by cooking and baking with a gas stove.
Ventilation is your best friend when making sure your home isn’t overrun by gas stove pollutants. Running a hood vent or exhaust fan or other built-in ventilation systems in your oven is going to help disperse the toxic gases and push them outside instead of staying in your home. Opening windows or cracking doors, if weather permits, while you’re cooking or baking also helps to push air pollutants outside.
Air purifiers are another device you can add to your home to help mitigate indoor air pollutants including the ones created by gas stoves. Air purifiers with carbon-activated filters will catch and help filter out gaseous pollutants released by turning on your gas stove. High efficiency air filters and a strong motor in air purifiers, like Oransi’s mod+ and mod jr., will capture allergens, viruses, bacteria, dust, pollen, smoke, mold spores, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) along with helping to filter out gas pollutants.
Running an air purifier in your home that can filter out the particulate matter and dangerous gases that gas stoves release is important. An air purifier is the best all-around solution to gas stoves releasing methane even when off because the purifier will continue to filter out these pollutants. These solutions will help to keep your household safe if you decide to keep your gas stove.