Science Advances report also finds people of color and low-income residents in US disproportionately affected

Using a gas stove increases nitrogen dioxide exposure to levels that exceed public health recommendations, a new study shows. The report, published Friday in Science Advances, found that people of color and low-income residents in the US were disproportionately affected.

Indoor gas and propane appliances raise average concentrations of the harmful pollutant, also known as NO2, to 75% of the World Health Organization’s standard for indoor and outdoor exposure.

That means even if a person avoids exposure to nitrogen dioxide from traffic exhaust, power plants, or other sources, by cooking with a gas stove they will have already breathed in three-quarters of what is considered a safe limit.

When you’re using a gas stove, you are burning fossil fuel directly in the home,” said Yannai Kashtan, lead author of the study and a PhD candidate at Stanford University. “Ventilation does help but it’s an imperfect solution and ultimately the best way is to reduce pollution at the source.”

  • Flying Squid
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    57 months ago

    We were going to go with induction, but it was just too expensive.

    • Thassodar
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      fedilink
      47 months ago

      My main beef is that I have pretty thorough knowledge of appliance warranties and induction stoves are near impossible to repair. I think it’s partially because the techs don’t know how they actually work, so getting an accurate diagnosis was rough. Most of the time they had to be replaced outright.

      If I were to get one I’d probably get a countertop one with a single burner so that if it fails I don’t have to replace the whole induction range, I can just replace that single point of failure.

      • Flying Squid
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        57 months ago

        You also need specific cookware and we’d have to replace a lot of ours.

        • 0^2
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          fedilink
          17 months ago

          You mean no aluminium or copper? Im not sure if that’s difficult tp remember or do. Am i missing something?

          • Flying Squid
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            17 months ago

            No glass either. We have a bunch of glass pots.

    • @Pretzilla
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      27 months ago

      Pick up a portable induction HOB and use it on the side. Even though the cheap ones are pretty crappy in many regards, they still work great for what they are and give a good idea of what to expect from a high quality one.

      Side note on cost, the inflation reduction act provides rebates to switch to induction.