Gas stoves can put out more benzene into your home than secondhand smoke from cigarettes, according to a study.
A Stanford-led study published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science & Technology journal earlier this year looked at how much benzene is emitted indoors from gas combustion by stoves – something they believe was not studied prior. The high levels of benzene also migrated through the air to other rooms, with some of the bedrooms in the homes tested having between five and 70 times the baseline level when a burner or oven was being used.
“Our findings suggest that the concentrations of benzene produced by combustion from gas stoves and ovens indoors may increase health risks under some conditions,” the study said. The researchers acknowledged further investigation is needed to assess the full health impacts.