New study: Gas stove use causes asthma in children

New study: Gas stove use causes asthma in children

Millions of Americans may soon be entering "stoveless season."

According to a report, the Biden administration is considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves — citing the harmful pollutants from the devices. 

Bloomberg reported Monday that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering the measure after recent studies showed emissions from the devices could cause health and respiratory problems.

"This is a hidden danger," CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told the outlet. "Any choice is on the table. Products that cannot be made safe can be banned."

Reports from groups including the American Chemical Society and the Institute for Policy Integration of New York University School of Law have found that gas stoves — which are used in about 40% of American homes while the rest use various forms of electric stoves — emit pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ca. Carbon monoxide and particulate matter at levels considered unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.

Studies have also linked gas stoves to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, cancer, and other health conditions.

President Biden's administration is considering banning gas stoves, citing the pollutants they release.

CNP / Polaris

More than 12% of childhood asthma cases can be attributed to gas stoves, according to a report published last month by the International Journal of Environmental and Public Health Research.

"There are nearly 50 years of health studies showing that gas stoves are bad for our health, the strongest evidence being for asthma in children and children," Brady Sales, director of the carbon-neutral building's program at the nonprofit clean energy group RMI and one of the study's authors, told Bloomberg. "By having a gas hookup, we are polluting the insides of our homes."

Trumka said that without banning the manufacture or import of gas stoves, the CPSC could also impose emissions standards.

A report last month found that gas stoves contributed to 12% of asthma cases in children.

He said the agency is expected to open up public comment on the dangers of gas stoves later this year.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) sent a letter to the agency in December urging it to take action against the devices, saying they are a "cumulative burden" on minority and low-income families.

The association representing makers of gas stoves, such as Whirlpool, asserts that cooking on any stove produces harmful emissions.

"Ventilation is really where that discussion needs to be, rather than banning a certain type of technology," said Jill Nutini, vice president of the Home Appliance Manufacturers Association.

"Banning one type of cooker won't address concerns about indoor air quality in general," she added. "We may need some behavior and change, and we may need [people] to turn on their hoods when cooking."