It’s a household staple that may be doing more harm than good: the gas stove. According to a recent study by Spanish researchers, gas cookers contribute to air pollution that causes approximately 40,000 premature deaths across the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) each year. The primary culprits? Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and other pollutants that get released into indoor spaces.
How bad are gas stoves?
The study, conducted by Jaume I University and the University of Valencia, estimates that using gas stoves could shorten the average user’s lifespan by nearly two years. This alarming statistic places gas cookers in a similar risk category as car exhaust and secondhand smoke.
Back in the 1970s, scientists first discovered high levels of NO₂ in kitchens with gas cookers. Then, as research expanded, they began understanding how much of this pollutant originates from indoor cooking. While past studies focused on outdoor NO₂ pollution from vehicles and industry, the impact of indoor NO₂ from gas stoves has been largely overlooked. This research changes that, showing that NO₂ levels from gas stoves can exceed World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits, especially in poorly ventilated homes.
Now, researchers have been able to precisely correlate the NO₂ pollution caused by gas cookers to lives lost.
To assess the health impact of gas cookers, researchers from Jaume I University and the University of Valencia studied nitrogen dioxide levels in homes across Europe. This analysis encompassed countries with high gas stove usage, including Italy, the Netherlands, and the U.K., where more than half of households cook with gas. By comparing indoor NO₂ levels to outdoor data from vehicle and industrial pollution studies, researchers were able to estimate the human cost of breathing in this harmful gas at home.
The result: each year, gas stoves contribute to an estimated 36,031 premature deaths in the EU and 3,928 in the U.K.
“From the perspective of public health, gas stoves are toxic,” said Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit, the study’s lead author, in an interview with Bloomberg Green. The problem of early deaths “is far worse than we thought.”
Delgado-Saborit and colleagues even described the findings as likely an underestimate noting that they focused only on NO₂ and did not include other pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and benzene, which are also emitted during gas combustion.
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The indoor pollution we ignore
When most of us think about pollution, things like cars, factories, or cigarettes likely come to mind. But in Europe, like in much of the world, people spend their home indoors. With airtight homes built for insulation, airflow is limited and pollutants are easily trapped. So, when something emits pollutants inside your home, the pollutants are much more likely to stay there.
This is what’s happening in kitchens with gas stoves.
Gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide continuously when they burn gas. And, even when off, they leak small amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Poorly ventilated kitchens see higher concentrations of NO₂, which can quickly reach harmful levels, especially for those who cook frequently or live in areas with high outdoor pollution.
Over a third of Europeans use gas stoves, and in countries like the UK, Netherlands, or Romania, the figure is over 50%. These households have a significantly higher risk.
While the EU has stringent rules for outdoor air quality, including emissions limits for NO₂ from vehicles, there are no corresponding standards for indoor air quality. This leaves millions of Europeans exposed to unsafe levels of pollution in their own homes, where they spend most of their time. This is particularly bad for children and those with respiratory conditions like asthma.
How to fix this problem
For families concerned about the health risks associated with gas cooking, the simplest solution may be to switch to an electric stove. Studies have found that electric and induction cookers do not produce NO₂, benzene, or carbon monoxide, making them significantly safer for indoor use. Dr. Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit, the lead author of the new study, notes that she is switching to an electric stove in her own home, citing both health and environmental benefits.
Despite mounting evidence, switching to electric stoves is not an easy challenge. Retrofitting a kitchen with electric wiring is costly, and many households can’t afford the expense without financial assistance. Governments could help by offering subsidies or rebates, particularly to low-income families, to support a safer transition.
But governments rarely offer this type of subsidy. However, the European Commission has proposed updated rules for gas cookers as part of its broader emissions-reduction strategy. This may include stricter emissions standards and the potential phase-out of gas cookers in favor of cleaner cooking technologies. For now, however, experts emphasize the need for public education about the hidden health risks associated with gas stoves.
Beyond individual households, the shift away from gas stoves may also have economic and public health benefits. Transitioning to electric stoves could reduce healthcare costs associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases linked to NO₂ pollution. This change may be particularly significant in urban areas, where dense populations mean that a large number of people are impacted by both outdoor and indoor pollution.
If you can’t swap to an electric stove, the one thing you should focus on is ventilation. Use range hoods and ventilation fans, open the windows while cooking, and limit time spent in the kitchen while the stove is in use. Regular maintenance of gas appliances can also help minimize leaks, although it does not eliminate the emissions produced during cooking.
It’s not just Europe
Dr. Delgado-Saborit’s research is not the first to uncover the dangers of indoor NO₂. A similar U.S. study published earlier this year found that NO₂ pollution from gas stoves leads to nearly 19,000 deaths annually in the United States. Both studies suggest that simply cooking with gas can be as harmful as living in a high-traffic area.
In the U.S., about 35% of households use gas stoves, and this number is rising in certain states despite mounting evidence of health risks. Unlike the EU, where indoor air quality standards remain largely unregulated, the U.S. has seen individual states and cities take steps toward reducing gas appliance use, with cities like New York and Berkeley banning gas hookups in new buildings to promote electric alternatives. However, this has become a highly politicized issue in the US as the Republican party opposes this change.
Meanwhile, in regions with high rates of indoor cooking over open flames, such as parts of Asia and Africa, indoor air pollution from gas and other fuel sources remains a significant public health issue, often contributing to high rates of respiratory illness. Although the specific pollutants and usage rates vary globally, the risks posed by gas stoves and similar appliances highlight a common and widely underestimated problem.
In light of these findings, the case for cleaner cooking options has never been stronger. By reducing reliance on gas stoves, Europe has an opportunity to improve public health, reduce healthcare costs, and cut emissions—a rare win-win scenario for all parties involved.
