Cooking With Gas, Household Air Pollution, and Asthma: Little Recognized Risk for Children March 25, 2021

Andee Krasner, MPH, Greater Boston PSR; T. Stephen Jones, MPH, MD; Regina LaRocque, MPH, MD | Journal of Environmental Health

Cooking with a gas stove releases combustion-generated nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants into household air. Both nitrogen dioxide in household air and cooking with gas are associated with increased risk and severity of childhood asthma. The impact on children can be substantial because at least one third of households in the U.S. cook with gas stoves, children spend most of their time indoors, indoor air is unregulated, and asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. The association between gas cooking stoves, household air pollution, and childhood asthma is not widely appreciated. We propose a public information campaign, public policies addressing household air pollution risks associated with cooking with gas, requirement of warning labels on gas cooking stoves, and further research on the efficacy of available interventions.