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It looks like there has been a new study published about benzene created by gas stoves. I read your last post about gas stoves from January, and it was helpful. Do you think this new study is meaningful enough to adjust your prior recommendation?
—Not-So-Proud Owner of Gas Stove
In my previous writing on gas stoves, I focused on the possible relationship between gas stoves and asthma. My bottom line was:
- Run your stove hood if you have one.
- Don’t panic and replace your gas stove now.
- If you are going to get a new stove, consider induction.
The question now is whether this new article changes that.
It is known that burning gas generates methane and benzene, but this new research provides some additional information on the amount of benzene, in particular, generated by household stoves. To test this, the researchers turned on stoves in a number of houses and tested the benzene concentration.
What they found was that in some cases, the levels of benzene produced by the stoves were relatively high — higher than people had thought they might be. The data is nuanced. Propane ovens and stoves are by far the worst, producing average concentrations many times higher than gas stoves. Gas, in turn, produces more benzene than electric or induction cooking. The data is quite skewed, with one or two homes producing very high levels and many not producing significant concentrations. Use of a hood diminishes the effects considerably.
Benzene is, in high concentrations, linked to cancer. Most of this linkage has been shown through very high occupational exposure. This occupational exposure is much higher than what you’d get from your stove, but the authors urge caution because we do not know if there is a safe lower limit.
These results feel to me very much of a piece with the other ones. There are some concerns here. But the magnitude of any possible effects on people is small. In the end, I believe the three conclusions outlined above stand.
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