Stanford study sounds the alarm after linking common household appliance to dangerous pollutant: 'Enormously toxic… a proven human carcinogen'

A study out of Stanford University found that cooking with gas or propane stoves could be even more damaging than secondhand tobacco smoke.

While cooking, the stoves release benzene — a toxic chemical linked to cancers and other blood disorders — into the air, even when range hoods are used for ventilation.

"Benzene is enormously toxic — it's a proven human carcinogen — and it's carcinogenic at very low levels of exposure," Yannai Kashtan, study lead and a Stanford graduate student in Earth system science, said in a presentation to the Methane Emissions Technology Alliance. 

"We thought it was particularly important to know whether stoves would be emitting this," Kashtan added.

The study found that benzene doesn't just stay in the kitchen, too. It spreads throughout your home and can linger in rooms for hours. In fact, the study found that benzene concentrations in bedrooms often exceeded national and international health standards.

"Good ventilation helps reduce pollutant concentrations, but we found that exhaust fans were often ineffective at eliminating benzene exposure," Rob Jackson, study author and professor of Earth system science at Stanford, said in a statement.

About 47 million U.S. homes — roughly 40% of all households — use harmful natural gas or propane stoves. That's a major portion of the nation's population exposed to a known carcinogen daily. 

The American Cancer Society reports that benzene is one of the 20 most widely used chemicals in the U.S. 

Benzene can damage bone marrow, reduce red blood cell production, and increase the risk of cancers with long-term exposure. Short-term exposure can affect the nervous system, leading to drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and confusion, as well as irritation to the skin, eyes, and throat.

The Stanford team's findings add to a growing body of research highlighting the health and environmental risks of gas stoves. Previous studies have shown that gas-powered stoves leak methane and emit nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to asthma. Gas stove toxins have also been linked to lung disease, diabetes, decreased lung development in children, and early death.

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In their analysis, Stanford researchers found that gas and propane burners emit 10 to 50 times more benzene than electric stoves, while induction cooktops release none at all. That's why experts recommend switching to an induction stove to avoid exposure to these harmful chemicals. 

​​Induction cooktops use an electromagnetic field to directly heat compatible cookware, curbing much of the toxicity linked to gas-powered appliances. Induction stoves also cook food faster than gas-powered ranges, and they are more cost-effective than gas-powered stoves. 

If you want to switch to an induction stove for your home, health, and the planet, the government will help you do it. The Inflation Reduction Act offers rebates for several planet-conscious home upgrades, including up to $840 for swapping to an induction or electric stove.

But these government incentives may not be available forever. President Donald Trump has suggested plans to dismantle the IRA, which could jeopardize incentives for planet-conscious home improvements, including savings for switching to an induction range. Any major changes would require congressional approval, but taking advantage of incentives now is wise.

For renters and those who aren't able to afford a major kitchen renovation, plug-in induction burners are an excellent (and affordable) option. Starting at around $50, these devices can give you many of the same perks as a full range without the major investment.

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